Riftlings 1 - The beginning words
by Awatere11
Summary: FranArian shared a story concept, something she was working on and she kindly said I could use her synopsis if I so wished. Riftlings - Children grown by the Rift born with mutant powers and now the government is finally catching on, are they the danger they are accused of being? Is this the beginning of the next war? Torchwood is in the middle ...especially Ianto. Thanks buddyx
1. Chapter 1

1

It was dark and the landscape seemed unfriendly, out in the wilders with rocky outcrops and smatterings of vegetation that showed the land had been scorched in places.

The year?

Can't really tell you. We stopped with the numbering thing for the different days after the great wars, all I know is that we are beyond the 30th Century here on Sol3.

.

.

.

"Eziah! You set fire to that goat again and I will beat your outside holdings!" a voce roared and she looked up in time to see a child running for dear life as an elder chased ineffectively with a stick.

"He be learning" a child told her, "He set fire to Femka yesterday, lucky Grev was there to blow it away."

"Elementals" she sighed, "Why be elementals in the telekinetic camp? You know when you put the firestarters with the thinker-movers there be troubles. They always gang up together to fight the empaths."

It was dark, late and they were safe to show their talents without fear out here in the wilder bits. In the wilders they could be themselves, who the gods had made. No hiding behind 'human' faces. Out here their mutations were freely nurtured and she knew her children were becoming.

She sighed and shook her head as the little beasts rampaged, one calling a stick out of thin air to throw at another who turned it into a dove that flew away. One little child had slid along the log, reaching for her and she was distracted by another who had called water from the air, watching as the teardrop dissipated like a fine mist. Strong that one, gotta watch that.

"Tell me the story, please Mother" the small child was pulling at her torn skirt as she sat cross legged on the large boulder and she looked down affectionately at one of her own.

"It be old and worn out now like the shoes on your feet!" she scolded and the child whimpered as he jiggled with desire, his tiny face full of hope and she sighed as she looked up over the encampment.

It was crude by some standards but it was clean. They made sure of that. Each child had a berth, each child had a plate, spoon and blanket. Each child had a name too but for now the name of the one pulling impatiently at her, worrying her like a tic, eluded her so she snarled instead, leaning forward in the firelight so her teeth flashed and the little one squealed with fear and delight, equal in measure as she was clearly playing which was rare.

As was her visiting them.

"Please Mother?" he tried again, this time gently patting her knee showing temperance.

"I not be speaking the words twice!" she barked, "I have others to see, my eyes have business elsewhere too. I not be speaking it twice when ears are too busy for my tongue!"

The children started calling out to each other, trying to find some form of order and she played with the bangles on her wrists, jangling them in the firelight as the children argued and finally settled. Then she looked out at the faces and canted her head.

"Right then" she chuffed, pouting dramatically, "What be the words you are wanting again?"

"The story" a little voice said hesitantly, "The story of them mans, the story of the beginning."

"The story of the end!" another voice roared indignantly, "The story of the children of the other old world. Please Mother, we needs the words of the journey takers!"

"Ah" she leaned back and tapped a finger to her lips as if considering and looked down again at the faces.

"The story of the Riftling Kings?" she asked and they all gasped in unison, "You know…the Riftlings be children like you once. They be born of love and that special bed wrestling of the grups. They be born of the rift and the other bits!"

"Please Mother" several voices begged with anticipation.

She grinned as she watched one shine his goggles before placing them back on the squint at her, trying to see her more clearly as her light competed for the flames.

"Well, it be a long story with much words" she sighed, "Might be too dark for some of the scarier words. They be daytime words with no shadow monsters listening to get ideas!"

"Awwwwwww" they all wailed.

In the distance a beast howled, a mournful cry that seed to echo in the canyon around them, making some cuddle together a little more, more toward the flames a little more. Her eyes gleamed in the firelight as if she were the creature that had howled. Dangerous.

Theirs.

"Riftlings be the beginnings." She said calmly, "They be the spark that becomes the flames, brighter and hotter than these ones be. This be a story of light. My light's first flicker."

"But it be of the dark times too!" one yelled, "It be a story of the darkness that eats the flames like a monster hungry for the warmth that can melt a heart of ice, right?"

She threw her head back and her dirty blonde hair fell back as well, the messy almost-dreads moving as she laughed, "Yes it be both of fire and ice."

"But where does a story begin?" she asked softly, all now leaning forward to listen, as did some of the adults in the shadows that were too old to approach her so boldly as they knew what she was even if the children saw only a woman, "Tell me. Does it begin with the beginning words or does it start with the ending ones."

"But we need those in between!" a little boy said with his hands clasped as if in prayer, "We need the in-between. The magic is in the in-between."

"Magic is in the in-between" the children all chanted as they nodded their agreement and the ancient story was recognised and revered once more, the gods shifting in their great throne room to listen as she waved her hand.

"Then all bums be planted!" she demanded, "All ears be open and the speaking holes silent. For I be telling the beginning story at the end! With all those bits between added for the innards."

The children shivered as an adult or two slid to the ground, sitting cross legged with their eyes watching the children with glee. Several more followed as they did what they had done for many generations.

They sat at the feet of the old mother and they waited for those words.

The words spoken at the beginning that told of the end.

And all the bits in between.

The Riftlings waited for their story.

ccccccccccccccccccccclarificationnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

 **RIFT GIFTS**

Elemental

Firestarters, Rainmakers and such, can use one of the four elements to their benefit.

Telekinetic

Movers, can shift things with their minds. Teleks.

Empath

Can feel another's emotion and anticipate their reactions

Telepath

Can hear another's thoughts. Usually this power is connected to Empath or a Kenetic as well.

Healer

Self explanatory.

Shifter

Can take on an animal form. Called a Changeling by some.

Technoist 

Techies can manipulate technology and machines.

Gleaner

Rare breed that can, for a short time, copy the power of the Riftling that it has had contact with. Also usually Empath and/or Telepath.

Hider

Can become invisible or 'unnoticeable'. Can be connected to Kenetic.

Botanist

Can control mother nature, can grow anything. Can be connected to Elemental.

Seeker

Recognises other Riftlings like a blood hound.

Hunger

One who sucks the life from another, consumes their life force or soul.

Mute

One who can dull the powers of another for short periods like a dimmer switch. Can be connected to Gleaner.

Jumper

Can manipulate time for small periods. Either jump back or forth in a time of crisis.

Hunters

Agents that hunt down the Riftlings for elimination or experimentation. Usually pairs, one human and one a Riftling that had turn to the other side either willingly or as a controlled slave with the human as their handler.

Normals

Human. Not mutated or Rift altered.


	2. Chapter 2

2

"Riftlings. These are the beginnings of a new race." The seed from which future man grows to be, now sits reading the file on last night's catch. "Poor bugger. The Rift does not just give and take, it changes things too."

Jack knew this, had seen some things that he would have preferred not to, and he had seen some miracles as well. Riftlings were the most interesting things of all. These children are a by-product of the huge amounts of rift energy that seeps through Cardiff like the evening mists that roll in off the bay.

Ianto stood silently as Jack muttered and shifted the folder to one side. He didn't often speak out loud when going over a rift catch, it was interesting to Ianto that Jack saw these Riftlings as something to be pitied. As if their mutant abilities from their Rift births had somehow damaged them.

Riftlings.

They did not travel the rift, merely exist within it. As did many people in Cardiff. But these Cardiff natives born after these weird spiking began during WWII were elusive and wary buggers. The first to show abilities were taken, experimented on, damaged. Destroyed.

Despite the public statements from the government that Riftlings were recognised as citizens with rights and protection due, there were still hate crimes and most had moved underground to their own hidden communities. The fact that puberty brought out the mutant abilities meant most lived a normal, loving life until the revealing of their powers and although a handful managed to survive in the 'real' world most knew only despair and secrecy.

It was believed that approximately 10% of Cardiff residents held some form of latent mutancy from the Rift. Of course….Torchwood knew better.

It had started about the same time as Jack arrived and it hadn't been lost on him that his arrival had spiked things. The first children born nine to ten months after that space Junker he had hitched a ride on through the rift and his little…"Mummy" episode were….different.

Jack wondered if it was due to the rift or his cock-up but then as he researched what scant information they had in the bowels of Torchwood he found it had started before he got there with mild changes and birth defects. He seems to have…heightened it. The mutants were now obvious as their 'powers' had started to show. These changelings, these 'Riftlings' were like something out of the X-Men franchise which had clearly been modelled on them.

 _Not much he can do about it now, just one more thing for the Doctor to scold about when he gets back…if he gets back._

"So, another one last night" Jack sighed, "I shifted her over without much fuss. Shit, this puberty thing is starting to unnerve me. Imagine, turning twelve and getting your first period only to find you are a fucking Pyro. Shit. Pyrokinesis is a hell of a way to kill your family by accident."

"Jack…" Ianto stepped closer, about to say something when Suzie's voice echoed through the rafters and the moment was lost as Jack rose to go to the doorway and look down.

"It's working!" she called up, her face glowing with excitement.

"Suzie!" Jack scolded, "I told you, don't play with that fucking thing before Tosh had decoded the file from T1. Come on!"

"Aw, come on…I bet a fly or a…."

"NO!" Jack roared, "You touch that glove again and it's going in the furnace! Ferdinand will soon settle the matter!"

Susie sighed as she agreed to save the piece of tat from Ferddi the furnace, turning to look at the knife that had come with it instead.

"Sorry Ianto you were about to say something?" Jack swung back and Ianto was already stacking the empty cups onto his ever present tray.

"Never mind sir, it can keep" he said softly with that infuriating way he did when bleeding into the furniture and Jack slumped as he realised he had missed something. Again.

"I've decided to tell Owen about them" Jack said and Ianto's hand stopped, the file half slid back onto the pile, "I know you hate Flat Holm and I appreciate the fact you go anyway but maybe Owen can help with some cases, if only from here. I don't know if he could stomach some of them in person."

Ianto nodded and rose to leave, stalling as Jack caught his elbow and pulled him in.

"Ianto, you've not come to me for three nights now" Jack said softly, "Is something wrong?"

"No" Ianto smiled as he looked at Jack was honest affection, "Just my dreams. I don't want to disturb you."

"We don't have to sleep" Jack purred and Ianto showed rare amusement as he stifled a laugh.

"Maybe you don't Sir, but unfortunately I am only human." Ianto shot back as he delicately retrieved his elbow and slid out the door, long gone before Jack leaned against the doorframe and sighed softly.

 _There he goes_ , Jack thought to himself , _hiding again_.

Ianto was careful to show no sign of annoyance or hurt at Jack's thoughts being so clearly broadcast.

Neither did Tosh.


	3. Chapter 3

3

Jack couldn't sleep and he rose to pad out into the main hub, feeling the heat as it crawled around the beams like tentacles.

Too bloody hot.

He walked down to the furnace room, wondering if Ferdinand was open and finding the furnace silent and cool was not as comforting as he would have liked. It was autumn, where the hell was the heat coming from then?

Jack was walking past the staff sleeping quarters when he felt it.

He was in there scooping Ianto into his arms without a second thought, turning and running for the main hub and the water pool, sinking up to his waist as he partially submerged the burning body and praying to the gods as he splashed the water over the grimacing face. Jack sat in the lapping water as Ianto seemed to still and settle in his lap, the cool water soothing and Ianto sighed softly , curling to cling to his boss as he slept, unaware that he had just set fire to the bedding in his berth.

"Jonah" Jack whispered sadly as his own burns started to heal, "He touched you again. Oh Yan, you promised to be more careful around him."

Jack sat for a long time gently scooping water over Ianto until satisfied that the nightmares of that poor damaged creature on the island were no longer attacking Ianto and he lowered him into the water, settling him against the edge of the shallow end and then rising to go clear up the room, now sodden thanks to Mainframe's sprinkler system.

Jack spent the next half hour cleaning the mess and finding Ianto's things still OK in the drawers was a relief, so he pulled them into another room and then locked the door on the damaged room. Walking back up through the levels he wondered if there might be more he could do for Ianto. No wonder he hadn't been visiting his bed, it had been almost four days since Flat Holm's monthly visit, damn this one's influence was lingering.

Owen.

Both men stood staring at each other, Owen's backpack swinging in his hand as he blinked and then looked back at the naked man asleep in the water pool.

Shit.

"Owen, you are not rostered on" Jack croaked, the smoke inhalation still fading, "When did you get here?"

"Long enough ago to have wondered why he's asleep in the water, long enough to wander about and look at him and definitely long enough to notice the way he suddenly burst into fucking flames before sinking into the water again!"

"Shit" Jack rushed into the water and then paused, calming himself before gently scooping Ianto into his arms, "How long ago did he flame up?"

"Ten minutes" Owen said dreamily, "I…he's a mutant, he's one of those Rift rats isn't he."

Jack had released Ianto and moved to seize Owen with an unnatural speed that had his head spinning as Jack snarled and shook him savagely, "Don't you ever use that fucking term."

"OK, Jesus on a crutch!" Owen yelped, "Calm the fuck down, fuck!"

"Riftling" Ianto spoke from the water and both men turned to look at him, still clinging to one another, "I am a Riftling, Owen. A child of time."

"Fuck" Owen repeated with awe. "Jack hasn't locked you up or shot you or something? Really? You…you hide so well."

"I …I am a rare breed that is not classified by the government agencies" Ianto said as he realised he was naked and sank back into the water with a soft blush, "They don't know there are more than four categories."

"Empaths, pyros, teleks and shifters" Owen named the four categories known.

"I am one called a Gleaner. Like a sponge, I can absorb the power of another for a short time, skin transfer usually does it. There is a man that came through the rift that was badly damaged, flame and fire is all he knows. He touched me and I thought I had pulled away in time but it appears I was wrong" Ianto shrugged, "So for 12 to 24 hours after initial contact I can call up his power. Asleep, dreaming his memories I can unfortunately relive what images he gave me longer and I ….flamed."

"Cool" Owen said as he finally dropped his bag and cleared his throat, "OK. Mainframe contacted me to say something was happening and she was unusually weird."

"Riftlings are" Ianto sighed as he finally gave in and walked out of the water to drip on the floor, "Owen, please don't tell Suzie. She has such a negative opinion of our kind, please."

Owen canted his head as his eyes narrowed and Ianto saw the danger as he crooked a finger in the direction of Tosh's workstations, "Suzie?"

"Come on Owen, you know Tosh won't mind" Ianto smiled weakly then watched something he had considered but never thought happen, occur.

Owen flickered and disappeared, the empty space making Jack grunt and grope for a chair.

"Owen?" Ianto's eyes widened and Jack relaxed seeing Ianto could still see Owen, even if he couldn't.

"You little shit!" Jack roared with relief, "This is why you are such an unpleasant little shit? You're one too?"

Ianto started to laugh as Owen slowly came back like someone turning up a dial a with a huge grin on his face.

"Yeah, that's why I keep everyone at arm's length. Christ, imagine if UNIT smelt out a Riftling right here in Torchw…." He stopped speaking as he looked at Ianto again, his eyes wide as he pointed and started to laugh again.

All this time, creeping around and they were both hiding in plain sight, even of each other. Although, Owen now knew that Ianto had known what he was from the first examination, their first skin contact and he had kept his secret along with his own.

Ianto pondered though, did he know about Tosh?


	4. Chapter 4

4

"But…you are from London" Jack said as they ate the greasy fish and chips, "I don't understand."

"I was born and bred here, adopted out to a London couple as a baby ya twat" Owen giggled as he ate, "My only comfort is that that bitch is not related to me by blood."

"Your father died when you were young, as my mother did" Ianto nodded.

"Yeah, it seems that grief enhances our powers" Owen explained to Jack, "All of us who are strong with our powers have known great pain."

"So… they had no idea they had a Riftling" Jack sighed, "So when you started exhibiting…"

"My dad was dead and mother put me in boarding school and forgot about me. She doesn't even know the selfish bitch" Owen shrugged, "I learned fast how my skills could help me get past bullies, pass codes, cops…"

"Yeah" Ianto snorted, "Seen a few bullies myself before I realised I was stronger than them."

"Bastards" Owen muttered, then he frowned as he watched Jack and Ianto have some sort of silent battle. "Oi! Are you talking?"

"I am able to take Jack's ability each time we touch so we are both telepathic for a time" Ianto replied as Owen gaped.

"Jack?" Owen said quietly, "You are a Riftling too? How?"

"51st Century, we all have some form of mutancy" Jack shrugged, "By then, after the Great War the Famine Years and then the Time of Healing, people all started to interbreed. Riftlings became…well. Us."

"So…you are telepathic?" Owen snorted, "You bastard, that's why you always win at cards, you fucker!"

"Told you" Ianto added to the conversation, "He cheats. He always cheats."

"Right" Jack said, slapping his hands down on the table, "Ianto and I are fighting about whether we can trust another secret to you and we have decided you are one of us so it's stupid not to share, but we need to get something sorted first."

"If you're gonna shag, is this where I tell you I sneak into watch?" Owen asked, then cackled at Ianto's look of horror and Jack's look of delight. "Joking, ahhhhh, Yan your face!"

"Bastard" Ianto huffed, then smiled as he realised he would have seen him anyway.

The klaxons sounded as Tosh entered and Owen made room for her, pulling over a couple of chairs and Ianto shook his head, "Not Suzie."

"Why not?" Owen frowned.

"This is Riftling business" Jack said as they settled and Owen stalled out, slowly turning to gape at Tosh.

"Toshiko Sato, AKA Tanya Smythe" Ianto said calmly, "Born here in Cardiff and has lived here her entire life. No family, no connections other than those in the underground. Us."

"But…your mother and Unit…"

"Bullshit" Jack spat out, then grimaced. "They made it all up so they could scoop her up from the University. She kept her gift so well hidden but then she messed up, unable to resist correcting the professor on something that even he hadn't figured out yet. He was the one who handed her in. Spiteful prick."

"Yes, he was" Ianto said softly, shifting in his chair as he reached out to pat Tosh's knee, "I made sure he saw the error of his ways. I was so relieved when Jack picked up on the report I sent through 'by mistake' from T1."

"How!" Owen asked, "You were not cleared at T1 to send….shit. Ianto?"

"One of the guards was a techie" Ianto shrugged as he used the Riftling name for one who could control technology and he glanced at the one sitting beside him in her chair, "Easy to fall against him while walking from the water cooler and then sit back and use the ability as I saw fit. Yvonne had no idea."

"You bastard!" Owen sighed happily, "So… these trips you take every month?"

"That's another thing" Ianto sighed, "For another day. Look, I have a weird feeling around Suzie. She is not one of us and I sometimes wonder if she had a Purity Pin hidden somewhere in her clothing."

The Purity Movement was committed to wiping out the mutant strains, their rallies and protests almost zelot-like. Even mentioning it made them shiver.

"I agree" Tosh whispered, "And that glove, it only seems to excite her more."

"I forbade her from playing with it" Jack assured them. "I said I would feed it to the furnace if she didn't stop."

Ianto shifted in his seat and Jack swung to stare at him, "You didn't!"

Ianto shrugged, "You said if she touched it again…."

"So you waited with evil glee until she did and then you did it without my authorisation" Jack growled, surprising both others as he reached for Ianto, cupping his cheek lovingly, "You little shit."

"Well, Ferddi was hungry" Ianto pouted and Owen watched as Jack relented. It was a moment of clarity as Owen saw that Ianto not only had Jack around his little finger but Jack seemed to like it there.

"She is gonna have a cow" Jack shrugged as he accepted it and Ianto sighed theatrically as he rose to fold up the empty wrappers.

"You think that's a problem…the knife went too"

"Awwww Tiger!"

"Ooops?"

.

.

.

.

"He burnt it too?" a small voice asked as she nodded, "He tooked it away from the crazy hair one."

"Yep" she grinned, "He knew the Grup was gonna use it for the bad things, the evils that Grups do."

"He saved them" another nodded with the knowledge tht last time he said it he had been right.

"He tried" she smiled softly, "But…we have to remember…."

"The magic" they all sighed softly.

"Yes!" She settled her skirts to continue the story as more slid from the shadows into the light.


	5. Chapter 5

5

Suzie was livid, yelling and throwing things as she searched for her glove and it finally dawned in her that it was gone, storming into the Hub to turn in a slow circle, glaring at everyone to see who had taken it.

"You were warned" Jack said calmly from the mezzanine level, leaning on the railing, "You know I don't suffer fools Suzie."

"It was Mine!" she roared, stamping her foot with rage and Jack raised an eyebrow, staring her down until she stopped her tantrum and sighed.

"It was Torchwood property and as Director I gave an implicit instruction" Jack said as he straightened up to signal the close of the conversation and as he turned to head back into his office she swung to stare as Ianto.

You!" she snarled, "You do his bidding like a pet puppy, it was you wasn't it!"

"Was that a rhetorical question?" Ianto asked softly, "Because all I heard was an insult with some heat."

"That glove where is it?" she demanded as she stepped towards him and to her surprise it was Owen who stepped up and between her and her target.

"It's with the knife, where you can't get it!" Owen snarled, "Stand back. You might be Jack's second but you are not MY boss."

She bristled as she started a staring contest with him that was so juvenile that Ianto was able to slip away and he headed to his archives and the safety of their silence.

Her anger had burned red hot in his mind and he hated her touch even more since that glove had started bleeding it's poison into her.

He was relieved that Jack had seen it too, had understood as he hated asking him for anything, feeling so grateful for the chance to prove himself worthy of his attention in and out of the workplace had made him lax to ask favours. That Jack was making lewd comments in public, gentle probing ones in private was also uplifting as he assured Ianto he still wanted him in his bed, in his life and most importantly in his heart.

Ianto felt it whenever they touched, the moments where fingers met as a cup or file was passed, the crackle of electricity as that powerful…whatever…sought him out and tweaked his senses so he walked on air for at least half an hour afterwards.

And Jack knew it, watching Ianto glow with delight as he skipped down the stairs with the vortex energy humming gently in his veins. It brought Jack comfort as well, wondering how far that energy could go, how much he could share if he ever had to.

Deep down, Jack prayed to his long lost, yet to be Gods that he might give Ianto the strength he takes for granted if the time ever came to do so.

Owen glanced up at him and made a stabbing motion at Suzie's back as she muttered over a file and he bit back the laughter as he shook his head in warning, cheeky little shit was like a three year old when riled, gods he loved him. Reminded him so much of his little brother Gray.

Jack looked over at Tosh and found her chewing on a pencil as she looked at the screen, her eyes unfocussed as she streamed the binary codes in the lenses of her glasses. Her brain worked so much faster than the system and he wondered how much of the workings of Torchwood was Mainframe, and how much was her.

His clever wee blossom.

Jack sighed and tried to focus on the file but couldn't rising to go in search of Ianto, finding him down in his safe place, the back archives humming softly as he filed yesterday's paperwork already 'fixed' and entered into the system. He had relaxed enough to forgo the silence for some background music that told Jack he was OK.

"Hey" Jack said softly, making Ianto jump.

"Hell's teeth!" Ianto giggled, "You still manage to sneak up on me ya bugger."

"Sorry, I love doing that, besides it is good for you to remember that some people can shield from you" Jack smiled as he pulled Ianto closer and leaned in for a kiss, "You need anything love?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing Cariad" Ianto smiled softly, "You need to come down here for something."

"Yeah, actually I always do" Jack agreed, his lips touching Ianto's as they swayed and shared their joy in one another.

"Cheeky" Ianto whispered as their foreheads touched.

"Always" Jack grinned back, "I know you like a challenge!"

Ianto's laugher was loud and booming as he threw his head back and Jack revelled in the echoing music.

He pulled him close again and they danced to the music playing on the old radio sitting on Ianto's desk, the golden oldie station playing Jack's favourite.

Moonlight Serenade.

Of course.

.

.

.

.

.

The Old Mother started to sing the words and the children joined in as the adults hummed gently to fill the spaces between and for a moment or two, in the wilders there was beauty.

The flames rose and two lovers danced in the moonlight.

Serenaded by those who still remembered.

Remembered the magic in the words.


	6. Chapter 6

6

Something was happening and Jack was antsy about it, his bad dreams waking them both as Ianto clung to him and panted, trying to calm his thrumming heart as the memory remained of the dead men in the train carriage.

"Shit, sorry. I wish I hadn't shared that" Jack sighed and Ianto kissed him gently to show there was no animosity for the experience as it brought them closer together and he rose, pulling on a robe and heading up as the soft chiming of one of Tosh's programmes demanded attention.

The sex before sleep had been more vigorous than usual and Ianto was feeling the after effects still, Jack not having shared his energy as he usually did and now Ianto realised he was preoccupied and had simply overlooked their mutual exchange.

Ianto realised it didn't matter. He was not with Jack for his energy, he was much more than that to him now. He was not sure how to feel about that. Connections are dangerous in this Verse. Love someone, you give them a weapon against you. To trust someone enough to give them your heart …now that is the true gift of the gods.

Ianto peered at the screen, canting his head as Jack walked over to slide a hand to his shoulder and Ianto reacted, Jack's fear still thrumming and Jack swore softly as he stepped back only to have Ianto shake his head and lean into him again.

"Funny weather patterns" Ianto said with a frown and Jack leaned in, grunting as he watched as well.

"I see it's Tuesday already" Jack pointed to the date at the corner of the screen, "Come with me to meet someone this afternoon, will you?"

"Of course" Ianto smiled glad to see Jack wanted him to go off base, knowing he usually took Owen or Suzie.

Their shower after lunch was calming and therapeutic as they shared this time, Jack filling Ianto with his spunk as Ianto blissed out, grunting through his own release with Jack holding him gently against the shower tiles.

They drove in silence, both men still grinning at Owen's cursing at their wet hair as he told them they were like fucking rabbits. Jack's impression of one was quite funny, even Suzie had laughed as he hopped along.

They sat in the auditorium and listened to the old lady as she spoke of fairies and flapped her hands delicately, the photos on the screen making Ianto uncomfortable for some reason and more than one he turned to Jack to find him frowning as well. After the presentation Jack rose and Ianto followed him over.

"Estelle, this is a friend of mine Ianto" Jack said and Ianto politely held out his hand, only to snatch it away with a squeak after a moment of skin contact.

"Oh!" she smiled, "An empath."

"A botanist" Ianto replied, "Your kind are rare. You can grow anything from seed, I saw an oak grown to the size of the man doing it within the space of ten minutes."

"Really?"' she asked with glee, "Would take me a lot longer than that. I think the fastest I grew one was four days."

"Yes, but it's all in the will of the gods" Ianto smiled softly at her and she clasped her hands together.

"Oh Jack, he is a dear isn't he!" she gushed then looked over at him as he frowned, looking at some of her pictures.

"Were did you take these sweetheart?"

"Wilding wood" she said happily, "Darlings aren't they."

"Mara" Ianto said dryly, "They are spiteful if angered but can be quite sweet too. They love trinkets. I had an entire chess set stolen, one piece at a time and couldn't find who was doing it, only to find another replaced on my table one day carved from acorns. Tiny wee pieces that were so cute. I …I lost it."

"Oh, gifts are rare" she agreed, "They don't' usually show favour with an adult."

"Oh, I am not really what you call an adult. Like Jack, I am a big child playing grown up with these silly clothes" he teased and she giggled as she patted his arm and slid her hand into his, calling him sweet again.

"Yes, well he's my sweetling!" Jack said with fake jealousy, pulling him back and posturing as she giggled.

Ianto sighed as he plucked another, "The strange weather patterns. You know it's them. They have probably chosen another of us. They like us, we are like candy to them."

"Yes" Tosh's voice in their ear pieces was weary, "A little girl called Jasmine Pierce, apparently she can control wind. It looks like they are closing in. They seem to go for elementals a lot."

"Shit, stand down and make sure no one gets in the way, we have to let them have her or they will get pissy about it" Jack sighed.

"But Jack…"

"He's right Tosh" Ianto agreed, "They are the old ones, you know we can only bend to their will, never them to ours. They must have their chosen one. That's the agreement, once and a while they take one."

"I know" Tosh finally said, "But Suzie is sniffing about."

"Put her onto those disappearances in the Barrens" Jack cut in, "That should interest her. She loves a good mystery."

Ianto made a small noise of discontent, "Missing persons. Is that really up our street Sir?"

"Nah, probably not but she will get a kick out of it" Jack grinned, shoving his hands in his pockets, "Ever since that Heddlu office sniffed about she is going on about it. Thinks we need a Heddlu Liaison."

"Erg" Ianto screwed his face up, "Really?"

"Maybe if she has to work with them she will remember how much she hates them" Jack reasoned and Ianto nodded, knowing Jack was right about these things. After all, he didn't know humans all that well himself.

"Well, say hi to Moses" Jack said as he signalled Ianto to move out and as they walked to the SUV Ianto asked softly, "Moses? I didn't detect any children in her life apart from her plants."

"Her cat" Jack said, "You can really tell who have kids with the ones you touch?"

"No, just the Botanists. They sort of…brag under the surface as they believe they grew the best" Ianto shrugged, "I don't' think they even know they do it. I've spoken to other empaths and they have felt it too."

"Good to know" Jack grabbed Ianto and kissed him fiercely, stunning him to silence before he opened the passenger door for him and then looked at Ianto with raised eyebrows. "What?"

"What was that for!" Ianto spluttered as he clambered in and Jack walked around to climb into his own seat and reached for his seatbelt.

"For showing yourself to her, I know you hate doing that" Jack said as he checked his mirrors and pulled out, "The chess pieces. You lost them?"

"In the fires" Ianto sighed as he let his head fall back.

"Fires?"

"A story for another day Cariad" Ianto yawned as he dozed, unaware that he had used the term of endearment.

Jack grinned all the way back to the hub, still getting wee surprises from this one.

.

.

.

.

"Now, who can tell me something I left out of the story!" she demanded, leaning back as she glanced around the small faces, "Come on with you. What be the other things."

"The Cat!" one said gleefully, "It be one too. It be a Riftling who hides in plain sight!"

"Exactly" she laughed softly, reaching up to shove some dirty blonde hair off her face, "They be hiding in plain sight. A changling."

"Just like him" a little one said softly, "He be hiding still. Right there in front of him, he be hiding the secret. The new one."

"Yes" she nodded, "But soon, he will know the truth."

"Soon!" She held up a finger, "Soon he will say the words."

"There be the magic!" some said as other shouted, "Magic in the words!"

"Yes."

She smiled gently at her children, knowing they had heard this story so many times that they knew it by heart, as did she.

Their magic be in the words too.


	7. Chapter 7

7

Jack and Suzie seemed to be having words, their voices low and hissy as they tried to keep their conversation quiet but all could see the frustration on both sides and Jack threw his arms up as she opened her hands to show the palms in question.

Ianto was aware of something happening and he slid along to stand by Tosh who leaned against him to whisper softly, "She wants to go investigate."

"Shit" Ianto huffed, "Seriously?"

"Are you OK, look a wee bit … pale" she answered and he grunted, screwing his face up as he glanced about to see if they were alone

"It's my quarterly" he replied and she looked at him with surprise, "I know. Its not due for another month but I am feeling the twinges in my lower back. What a shitty time to get it."

"To get what?" a voice said behind them and they both jumped as they swung like naughty children with their hands stuck in the cookie jar.

"Owen, you bastard" Ianto slumped against Tosh as Owen sniggered.

"Nah, tell me….what?"

"I cycle, every three months I have…well…a menstrual flow, OK?" Ianto grimaced, "Part of my problem is working with women means I touch them. Not intentional but if I am around them all the time, touching daily …"

"You ….shit. Your copy-cat thing will create hormonal imbalances like sympathy pains?" Owen hissed, "That's fucking cool. So…like in a small group of women that all stat to cycle together, you do too?"

"Except with me it's slower. So one month to them is three to me. The more I limit my contact, the less the affects" Ianto sighed, watching Owen's face contort as he considered.

"Where do you bleed?"

"Bum!" Suzie yelled as she threw something in the water pool.

"Yes" Ianto said dryly, "there."

Owen sniggered as he started to walk away, then turned, "Can I examine you? If I can learn more, maybe I can give you …I don't know…like something to counteract it? Like some contraceptives do?"

Ianto hadn't thought of that and smiled as he nodded his agreement so once Suzie had stormed off for a Heddlu meeting Ianto lay back to let Owen have at it, as it were.

"Oh man, I see …shit. Dude! You have a fucking uterus" Owen said ruthlessly as he scanned, "Look at that. Good thing one of us isn't diabetic or something, shit we need to remember that aye. We transfer daily."

Ianto was looking at the wall, wondering if he should order any lunch or wait for Jack to finish his call out when Owen stalled and swore softly.

"What?" Ianto craned to see and felt his blood run cold and the two men stared at the wall.

"Ianto…"

"Don't' tell Jack!" Ianto blurted, shocked and confused, "It wears off. It might…whatever. Shit. Get absorbed or flush away."

But how?" Owen tuned to look at him and Ianto shrugged as he wracked his brain.

"Estelle" he finally said, "Jack's friend is a Botanist. We touched several times and Jack and I had been...intimate before the meeting. Shit, I was cycling and forgot a condom for him. He hates them."

"So…you imbibed her growing power and the seed …grew." Owen was sitting now, his hands in his lap as he started at Ianto, "Look mate, my mind is going nuts and it's not even me with…that. You have to tell Jack, you have to talk about it. What if you …you know…like the power wears off and you like…well. It would be a miscarriage wouldn't it. He would freak. You might bleed everywhere."

Ah …shit a brick" Ianto sighed.

"Well technically you would be shitting a…"

"What's going on down here?" Jack called out as he leaned over the rail and Ianto was relieved to find the wall clear.

"We're planning to take over the world but it's smoko" Owen called back and Jack laughed as he disappeared, then came down the steps.

"Seriously, you look…serious" Jack frowned.

"Nothing Sir" Ianto rose and started fixing his clothes, "Owen just found out about me cycling with the girls and found it interesting."

"Yeah" Jack nodded as he peered at a specimen jar, "Not due for another month, right? You get those chocolate cravings and want to watch Love Actually a lot. I love that movie!"

"Yes sir" Ianto smiled, then glared at Owen and made 'killy die die' motions at him as he pretended to say something.

Jack turned to look at them and frowned. "What are you doing really? We promised no secrets."

"Well, you got me! I'm pregnant and we are trying to decide who the father is" Ianto quipped, "You or the black dildo. Guess we won't know until it's born and we can see if it's white or rubber."

Jack roared with mirth as he tripped back up the stairs and Owen gaped at Ianto with incredulity.

He had just told him.

He had kept his promise of no more secrets, he had told him and got away with it.

Bastard.

Owen hoped Ianto could get his head around it soon and then tell Jack seriously. If not, he would.

This would be a Rifling child.

.

.

.

"But he promised to tell the truth" a child called out, "He said the words. He kept the promise!"

"But he cheated!" another roared, a small argument starting.

"HUSH" she roared and her eyes shone with unnatural light, her golden glow lighting the space more than the fire did, "Enough. You want the words or no!"

She huffed and waited for them to settle, her hands on her knees as she leaned in to the firelight and her eyes continued to glow with the power.

The children waited with baited breath as the grups feared her silently.

You did not interrupt her.

Not this one, for her power was strong too.


	8. Chapter 8

8

So it was in the SUV, sitting in the camping area that it finally dawned on Owen that they were camping and he really spat the dummy, lunging against the seatbelt and roaring with horror like he was watching his pet get run over or something.

"It's only for a few days" Jack snorted, "The only planet in the Verse to camp, embrace your uniqueness!"

"People die camping" Owen muttered as he finally undid the belt and fell out of the back into …

The scream was high pitched as Owen lay with his face inches from the cow pat his hands had sunk into and Ianto sighed softly as he lifted him up and started pulling wet wipes from a packet.

"Gonna need more than that!" Owen pouted and Ianto made a sad face, then pulled out a water bottle that had Owen holding his hands out like a good boy. Ianto washed his hands for him and then gave him the packet of sanitising wipes, letting him rip the entire packet open and he wiped himself repeatedly as he dropped the used ones in a bag Ianto silently held open.

"Ta Jeeves" Owen quipped with the last one and dropped it in, then peered into the bag like he didn't know what it was for. Ianto smiled at him as he saw what an inquisitive child he must have been, then his smile faded as he felt something else.

He turned and walked quickly to the tree line and then plunged into the woods, doubling over as he vomited. Then he looked up and at something that really didn't help his stomach.

.

.

.

.

"But I didn't know you get car sick" Jack frowned, "Suzie should have given you the front seat."

Ianto waved it off, watching Owen as he stalked around the body and poked it with a stick, then made an icky face.

"Well?" Jack asked.

"He's definitely dead" Owen straightened up and looked at Jack, folding his arms.

Ianto snorted and then cleared his throat as he looked away, Tosh not so fast and Jack frowned at her, "If you think it's so funny you can help bag and….what's that noise?"

"Oh no!" Suzie wailed, "Owen, did you leave the keys in the door again?"

They ran out of the woods to see the SUV disappearing in the distance and Suzie threw her hands in the air, "Fucking marvellous! Well done!"

"Well, did anyone get his number plate?" Ianto asked and Owen turned to look at him then they both started to giggle as Jack turned to Tosh.

"The tracker is...moving in that direction!" she pointed and they started to walk, Ianto noting that Owen fell into step beside him with a silent question in his raised eyebrows.

Ianto nodded to show he was fine and Owen nodded, then moved ahead to catch up to Jack.

"What's going on with you two" Suzie asked as she approached Ianto and he considered a long winded explanation but then decided to go for something simple.

"He's worried that Jack and I are getting serious and I need to take care" Ianto answered, "He doesn't want him to hurt me. Nice actually, to have someone care."

"I…I thought you and Jack were just playing" Suzie said as she watched Jack striding forth, his Great Coat flapping in the wind, "Like…he's just having fun."

"He's not been with anyone else since I agreed to warm his bed Suzie" Ianto said softly, "He said he wants to take it slow but he's serious. He wants to make a go of us. I think we're mere weeks away from the major fight about fieldwork and cloistering."

"Really?" Susie asked, "I've worked for him for almost three years and I've never seen him serious before. Just don't get hurt if he's playing away, I think that's all Owen means."

Ianto nodded and tried not to grimace as she reached out to pat his arm and then moved on.

Tosh had watched silently and then moved closer, "Are you OK?"

"Yeah" he sighed, "Just gotta find the time to get him alone. I need to talk to him out of Suzie's ear shot but ever since he got this camping idea in his head he's been impossible. You know he hardly ever sleeps?"

"Gods save us" Tosh sighed, "Look, we're almost to the village. Talk to him there."

But…he couldn't as they were told to split up and Ianto reluctantly went off with Tosh as Jack and Owen went with Suzie.

At least he got away from her weird vibes still emanating as the glove's energy slowly ebbed away.

It wasn't until he woke to find himself on the dank floor of the cellar next to Tosh that he realised things were definitely worse than first thought.

And with him and Jack not connecting the night before there was no 'spark' to help the scalp wound that seemed to be oozing down the side of his face.

Brilliant, just….oh gods.

Ianto's hands flew to his stomach as his fear for the baby thrummed, seeking Jack as he wondered just how damaged he truly was.

.

.

.

.

"But he be breathing!" a voice called out, "We be here so he be stuffed with life still!"

"Yes" she smiled, "He still have the bubba stuffed in his belly bits. He still have the spark of life."

"But the Captain has to hurry" another said with wide eyes, "I remember this bit, these be the Meaters!"

"Yes, the Meaters" she nodded as the youngest children clung to the older ones with fear, the Meaters of this time probably not so different.

The children knew all about cannibals.


	9. Chapter 9

9

Ianto was not surprised by the gun or the woman as she snarled and sneered at them and as he and Tosh played the game he felt something brushing against his mind.

 _Jack?_

 _Could the baby be enhancing their bond?_

 _Could Jack be honing in on him with that bloody Vortex Manipulator he always bragged would find Ianto's unique signature?_

 _Was it still unique now there was Harness DNA on board?_

All these questions swirled in his brain and he didn't even realise they were in a room until Tosh squeaked and he looked up to find a disguising brute of a man touching her in a most unacceptable way but her glances told him she could handle it, she was made of strong stuff.

She was a Riftling after all.

Then the woman leaned over to stroke Ianto's face and he felt true fear as her power washed over him.

A Seeker.

He slammed down as many shields as he possibly could and prayed to the gods that there were more he didn't know about doing his bidding and she stood there examining him, trying to read his power.

He blinked back with a stupid expression he saw many without the Rift Gifts wear when confronted like this.

Finally she turned away and shrugged, "Nothing from him. Her, however…lovely."

The man laughed as he licked Tosh's face and Ianto felt queasy again in a way that had nothing to do with the bub and all to do with Tosh's wave of horror.

 _Ah shit._

 _A seeker._

Suddenly he was assaulted by the emotions of the room as her powers clicked into his and Tosh's mind whirred as the woman's lust burned and the man….oh gods the man was pure evil.

.

.

.

"A Meater" a child whispered with fear, "Gonna sucks him up."

The woman winked at the child and then tapped her nose with a finger, waiting for the others to stop shushing and then she continued.

.

.

.

The man was a Meater. The power that thrummed from him, filing the room with its putrid stench was hunger. Hunger for life force, hunger for soul. Ianto knew they were in deep shit and his mind drifted to the little spark within, the promise.

He leaned against the woman, as if dizzy from the head wound and then once he took as much power as he could without vomiting he threw himself wide, seeking Jack.

Gods, he hoped it would work.

The man seemed to sense something, perhaps seeing his mate falter once Ianto stepped back and he surged forward, grabbing Ianto and pulling him close enough to smell his foul breath.

 _Oh no, not more Hungers._

Ianto felt himself waning in his attempts to shield and then he had a sudden inspiration, glancing to make sure Tosh was free and he slammed his head into the prick's face. Why not, his head was already thumping, what's another hit for the team.

Tosh ran and he knew he was in deep shit as the man's eyes widened and Ianto realised his shields s were falling, his power was starting to bleed through and the man blinked as he peered into Ianto's face.

"What the hell are you?" he asked softly and then laughter as Tosh was pulled back in by others, along with Owen and an extremely pissed off Suzie, her hair wilder than usual as she struggled.

"Where's Ianto!" Owen demanded "If you've hurt him I'll…."

That was when the world turned into sound, chaos, hell, destruction and a big fucking tractor.

Ianto fell to his knees as the man howled and turned to attack and Jack was firing with a snarl as he leapt from the tractor and Owen was there, talking softly as his hands brushed at Ianto's face, Tosh. Where is Tosh?

There.

"Its OK mate" Owen's voice was soothing as were his hands, and Ianto groaned as he felt Owen gently manipulating him onto his back.

"Owen. Is he OK?" Jack's voce was so far away and Ianto grunted as he felt Jack pulling him into his arms.

"We have to get him to the SUV" Owen said, his worry evident, "Fucking Heddlu are starting to crawl everywhere and I don't' want their eyes on what I need to do. Come on, pick him up."

Ianto tried to speak, to warn that he had been last touched by a Hunger but he was too discombobulated so when Jack lifted him and brought his lips to his forehead it was instantaneous.

The blast was like an electrical current through his body and Ianto grunted as he shook with the power of the Vortex.

"Fuck, he's fitting, get him in the back!" Owen yelled, clambering in as well and Jack turned to Suzie.

"Tosh can drive, I need to get him back, and you stay and clean this mess up." Jack said to her, "You can play with whomever you like."

"Really" her smile was vicious "I know just the prick I wanna talk to."

As she headed over to the one who had hurt her team members Jack clambered in and Owen closed the doors, yelling at Tosh to go.

Jack realised what had happened and swore softly "My energy. The fucker must have been a Hunger. I've seen this power of mine kill them."

Owen grunted as he shakily moved the sonic scalpel over Ianto's midsection and Ianto groaned softly as the area Owen sought still glowed with latent energy, the wee bean getting an extra kick from its father.

"Thank fuck" Owen sighed with relief as he saw the wee heart beating strongly.

The dull thud as Jack fainted and hit the window with his head was quite the punctuation mark to the entire affair.

.

.

.

.

"He fell over?"

"Yes" she smiled as some laughed, "He be so brain stopped that he went and fell over with the shock of it."

"The baby"

"Yes" she nodded, "He knows now. He sees. His wee spark in his man's belly. He done filled him, done stuffed him up and now he be the one with the worries."

"We be here!" a little one said with more confidence than she truly felt, "The bean be growing."

"Yes" the old mother took a deep breath and looked into the flames, "The wee one be strong. Strong with the powers Ianto keeps touching, feeding, instilling. This one be the first of us. Be the first true Rift Child."

"Be the Rift King!" one crowed.

"Yes" her face softened as she thought of him.

Her own Rift King.

Her beloved.

Her Timelord.

Her Doctor.


	10. Chapter 10

10

Jack woke next to Ianto who was plastered against him snoring softly and for a few moments he lay there thinking that was the craziest dream he'd had for a while, then he turned his head to see the livid bruise on Ianto's face.

They were in a side room, not the bunker and Jack looked around at what he realised must be Ianto's real room. The staff was allowed a room each and this one was floor to ceiling books. It didn't surprise him as much as he thought it should, his smile as he looked at what Ianto would have read only one and then felt unable to discard, his love for all things written making him place them in there like a memory box.

They were laying inside Ianto's memory box.

Evident as a framed picture of Lisa could be seen in one shelf and in another he saw the unmistakable smile of the Fermollian they had re-homed a few months back after living in the lower levels for almost a year. The little cat like creature had become attached to Ianto once he joined the team and apparently it was mutual. He was so nurturing.

It all came back with sickening clarity and Jack let a hand slide down to cover the taught stomach.

Ianto sighed and moved against him, blearily opening his eyes to look at Jack with a frown, "I had the shittiest dream."

"Hush now sweetling" Jack crooned, pulling Ianto closer as he marvelled at this development, "Tiger, when were you going to talk to me about our little surprise?"

Ianto made a noise of question and rubbed his face into Jack's neck, sighing and the soft puff of air made Jack feel quite mushy.

"Yan, you're having my baby" Jack whispered and he felt Ianto go still, the fear beginning as he drew back to stare at him with wide eyes and Jack realised he was about to apologise, "Hey, hey. It's OK. I've been pregnant ya know. Didn't hold. Broke my heart. I remember the dreams and hopes for him and then…I thought I would never have the chance again. Then little Melissa came along and I thought I had a second chance. Well, her mother put paid to that. I didn't carry her so she lived."

"Melissa?"

"Sorry. I have a daughter, called Alice now" Jack grimaced, "She's in her forties. Hates me as her mother filled her head with the fact that I am a freak that…"

"Stop that!" Ianto growled softly, "You are not a freak, don't use that word. You are…"

"Yes?" Jack asked softly, "What am I to you?"

Ianto blushed and pushed against him enough for Jack to feel what he thought and Jack's face softened as he stroked his cheek, "Oh Yan."

"I was afraid you would be angry. Think I was trapping you or something and…I never want to lock you down Jack, I….oh damn it all I love you, you terrible man."

Jack knew his smile was splitting his face but he didn't care as he held Ianto tightly, revelling in the thought of their bonding so strongly that a child might be produced.

"Suzie….there is no way we can hide this from her and she will know that I'm a Riftling" Ianto said after a few moments of silent cuddling.

"Yeah, I'm thinking about that too" Jack sighed, "She is so…"

"Human."

Jack laughed softly as he agreed, she was definitely that.

"Look, let's burn that bridge when we get to it, OK?" Jack murmured as he kissed Ianto's face and he watched the bruising fade slightly. He kissed again and this time the bruising all but disappeared, only a faint smudge.

Ianto's gift was amazing.

"What are you doing?" Ianto muttered sleepily as he started to drift.

"Loving you" Jack whispered as he stroked the soft smudge away, pale pristine skin now appearing.

"Good" Ianto sighed as his eyes fluttered shut and he was soon snoring softly as Jack hugged him gleefully.

"Hey, he OK?" Owen asked as he entered and placed a hand on Ianto's hip so he could peer at his face, making a noise as he saw the clear skin.

"I gave him a little more, not cheating right?" Jack asked and Owen shrugged. "How's Tosh?"

"Pissy" Owen grinned, "She is busy moving shit around in the UNIT system. By tomorrow those cannibals will be in a world of hurt as they get shuffled into those nonexistent labour camps."

"Ouch" Jack grimaced and then Ianto grunted, moving in his sleep.

"I'll let him sleep" Owen rose and hesitated, "He was ready to go if he had to for her ya know."

"It's in his nature" Jack agreed softly, "He will always give his all for those he loves."

"Not a bad thing, but dangerous" Owen frowned.

"Yeah, he could get hurt" Jack agreed.

"No" Owe paused looking back at Jack with a serious stare, "I mean he is dangerous. You didn't see what he did, you don't realise. He took her power to give Tosh that chance. If he can harness the powers of more than one at once…he could be unstoppable."

"Good" Jack said defiantly, "Because I don't ever want him to stop. The day he stops, so do I."

Owen nodded and left as the faint sound of the klaxons sounded to signal Suzie's return.

Time to head her off.


	11. Chapter 11

11

Suzie knew something was up, she felt it as she stepped into the Hub and she looked expectantly at Ianto's kitchen doorway, thinking he would be heading out with that prim and proper expression but there was only space.

She sat and waited, surprised when it was Owen who approached to sit and look at her nervously.

"Riftlings" he began softly, "They are everywhere, undetectable and not all dangerous."

She nodded and canted her head wondering what the purpose was of this silly lecture. They had been cannibals, not Riftlings.

"Ianto…seems he….shit" Owen rubbed his face "Ianto was born with female parts as well as male and was always tagged male."

"He's a Riftling" she said calmly, blinking back the shock.

"He's a hermaphrodite" Owen shrugged, "They have been around for centuries, long before Riftlings. Could be nothing to do with the Rift."

She stared at him and then snorted as she called bullshit. "Don't blow smoke up my arse."

"Suzie, look. He and Jack are a couple. You know…together. Also, shit. It could be working here, it could be the rift, it could just be evolution…"

"Spit it out" she urged and it was Jack that spoke from the doorway.

"Ianto is with child" he said formally, entering to take a seat, "He's asleep finally. I left Tosh with him, didn't want to leave him alone, he's still shocked."

"Don't blame him, I think we all are" Owen rubbed his face and Suzie turned to Jack.

"So. You aren't a Riftling?"

"No, I am a time traveller from the 51st century that travelled back in time to get stuck here when my time travelling device broke" Jack said calmly as he tapped his VM, "The Doctor…you know …him of the blue box variety. I was a companion once upon a time."

"Bullshit" she snorted.

Jack reached out for the letter opener on Owen's desk and calmly drew it up his arm and they all watched the blood run like little red beads, getting smaller and smaller as the cut closed until it stopped altogether.

"I had an accident while with the Doctor, on an alien vessel." Jack explained, "I can heal like that. I am not from this planet let alone this time. I am an Alien. You know, we do still have those."

Suzie snorted and then looked to Owen, "Really? This isn't a wind up?"

"Really Suze" he nodded.

"Wow" she breathed, "But Ianto. He is a Riftling, that makes so much sense. He knows so much and the Mainframe system seems to bend to him when he's in those bloody archives. Wow."

The two men exchanged a nervous glance and then Suzie blew them away.

"My sister if a Riftling you know" she informed them, "Went into hiding three year ago. Part of the underground Rifting group called the 'stepping stones' or some shit. I see her once and a while. She's a fire starter."

"The hair" Owen said softly, "Hers is more red?"

"Fiery red, yeah" Suzie grinned, "we thought I might have the gift but I never presented."

"We" Jack said as he leaned back, "Mum and Dad?"

"Mum is too, Dad is normal" she explained, "I threw to his side, Amelia threw to Mama."

"Wow" Jack smiled, "If she's anything like you, I bet she's a looker with that hair."

"God, I have been so scared that we would come across her in an investigation or something" she relaxed in her seat, "I never feed her info, honest. We never talk about our jobs, we are careful."

"I would like to meet her" Jack said softly patting her knee, "If only to let her know that there are more on her side than she thinks."

"Oh god" Suzie started to cry as she launched herself at Jack, hugging him, "Thank you. I love this job and the stress…god. Oh my god. Poor Ianto! Oh my god, he's been right here living the secret. He must have been terrified."

"Actually, I think he's saved us a few times" Owen frowned, "Looking back there have been a few times things worked out that might not have and I put it down to dumb luck. Maybe it was a clever Welshman instead?"

"Christ" Suzie sighed, "I can tell you, it's like this huge weight has lifted. Like…the back of my head exploded but I'm still here. God. I want to laugh, cry, dance. It's insane. Really? Ianto is OK?"

"He's fine. He's just a Riftling. We are not all dangerous ya know" Owen scoffed, then stalled as she gaped.

"Wow, way to out yourself there Owen" Jack snorted and Owen shrugged.

"Well, she's shagged me so really, it's better than admitting to an STD" Owen groused and she started to laugh, her relief and acceptance making them all feel a bit better.

Jack looked at her and marvelled at her moxie, having lunch with a known Riftling sister and then coming back here to pretend like the rest of them that it was nothing.

Gods, didn't he pick them then?


	12. Chapter 12

12

Suzie was nervous but hopeful as she scanned the crowd and watched her sister approach. Amy's red hair was shining in the sunlight, showing her own nervousness as sparks practically flew from the tips and Suzie smiled as she watched her sister pull a chair out to sit.

Jack appeared with some bowls of hot chips, placing them down and then sitting with a warm smile as Amy froze.

"Hello" He said softly, "Captain Jack Harkness, but…you know who I am right?"

Ianto slid into a seat as well, smiling almost apologetically as he slapped at Jack's hand reaching for the chips and pointed at his shirt, "That was clean on before we came out. You better not drip!"

"Bully" Jack said affectionately, opening his mouth to pop a chip in and then freezing as a dollop of sauce dripped on to his shirt.

"Well. Bad enough you eat sauce when there is perfectly good vinegar available and then you do the exact thing I told you not to" Ianto sighed, shaking his head, "Seriously Sir. You are such a child."

"Sorry" Jack shrugged, looking not the least bit anything resembling sorry and Ianto turned to smile softly at Amy.

"Amelia. Amy, right? Amy Pond? I've seen you down at the Crucible with that Rory fella" Ianto said conversationally, "He's quite tall isn't he. I know you are fire, what is Rory? I always meant to say hi but the bloody meetings take so long."

"Rory is a jumper" she said softly, "He can move back five minutes. Never more, never less and only back."

"Does he age those five minutes he lives again, or do they act as a dual thing?" Ianto canted his head and for the next few minutes they talked about time travel as Jack listened with interest.

"So, if he jumped back five minutes every hour…he would age a week or so less each year?" Jack tried to understand and she shrugged.

"He is definitely older than he looks, so it's like it cancels itself out, yeah" she nodded, "He is older than me but…we look the same age. He can't dual jump, he has to then relive that exact amount of time."

"He had a lot of good comments when we were flooding in the lower tunnels." Ianto said as he plucked another chip and examined it.

"He was nervous about that, he was never a soldier but seems to have settled into it" she nodded.

"Jack is a time traveller too" Ianto said after a few moments thought, "aren't you sir."

"Yeah, I'm a lot older than I look too" he grinned. "I wanted to meet you so you know we are not trying to get your sister to entrap you or something. We are not here to hunt our own kind, we are here to protect ALL people of Earth. Suzie is now able to meet you publicly, spend time without fearing us smelling you out. In fact, if you ever want to talk to us know it will be welcome."

Ianto suddenly stopped eating and blanched, "full."

"OK" Jack nodded, "Want anything else love?"

"Nah" Ianto screwed his nose up, "Feel icky now."

"Ginger ale?" Jack was already rising to go in and get one so Ianto nodded and watched him go inside, then turned to face Amy, "We've met. You were running and the Hunters were closing in. I was the one who held the door open for you and told you to head up not down. I remember the sparks in your hair. So pretty."

"Oh my god" her eyes widened, "I do remember you. You were so…calm."

"I had just imbibed the power of an Elemental" Ianto snorted, "You know how snotty the water weavers are. I made a thick fog so they couldn't see where you went."

"Oh my god" her eyes widened, "You. You… are the one they talk about. You are a Gleaner, the one who took the power of Rambler. You almost killed him."

"He asked for it" Ianto hissed, "He almost gave away our location with his foolish pick pocketing."

"Yes" she leaned back as she finally realised he was truly safe here with the most powerful Riftling ever known, the only one she had ever heard of to walk so freely in the human world. Now she saw, now she knew how he did it. He was Gleaning. Constantly and somehow he could Glean from humans as well, his hand reaching out to help the waitress with the plates, sliding over her wrist as he spoke and then the extra large tip as he told Jack the poor girl's ankles were sore. They were not supposed to be able to do that with 'Normals'. Only other Riftlings.

She knew now why her sister was so at ease, his hand also patting her arm occasionally, sending soothing calm to her as he handled her and controlled the table. Then he looked at her as he reached out and she was about to pull away when his hands settled over hers and she felt it.

Warmth.

Safety.

Power.

She tried not to react as he gave her a secret, a gift that was the ultimate proof of his loyalty.

He sent her a spark of power that made her blood bubble.

Instead of taking he showed her that he already had fire and was able to feed her, not imbibe.

She knew who he was.

They called him the Dragon King.

.

.

.

.

"Hunters" a child shuddered and spat into the flames as she smiled at his moxie.

"Yes, those who would betray us, or are no longer able to save themselves" she nodded, "Their brains be scrambled and their powers gone bad."

"But he be the Dragon King!" a boy shouted eagerly, "He have the fire in his heart!"

"Yes. Light, dark, cold and heat" she nodded, "The light of the sun, the dark of the moon."

"All them!" a girl yelled.

"Cold earth, Dark Stormy wind, Light wind and the cleansing fire" she smiled "Well done. Yes. The Dragon king could control all the elements. All the powers were available to him as he did not truly release all the powers he touched."

"And the other one, the golden spark giver!" a girl said, "Captain."

"Captain" the others sighed softly.

"He feeds him too!" she said, "The golden spark he put in his belly, he feeds it, he feeds the power."

"Yes" she leaned back and looked as smug as she felt, "and the babe be a hungry ember."


	13. Chapter 13

13

"What's happening?" Jack called into the hub as he watched the large screens flickering to life.

"The Prime Minister is making a statement" Tosh called out as they gathered to listen to him.

"We will be trialling the new initiatives over the next three months. The register is purely voluntary but we urge all with family members exhibiting mutations due to the recent discovery of the radiation spillage from WWII unexploded ordnance in and around the Cardiff area to step forward and report those names" the thin faced man blinked and then continued to read his speech, "With proper treatment it is possible for these unfortunate few to get the help they need to regain their human…er…wellness."

"Oops" Owen muttered, "Slipped there."

"So, wait. Am I a bit dense or is he blaming the Riftlings on WWII bombs?" Suzie asked with open confusion.

"We heard rumblings that they were going to try an start some form of list" Ianto sighed as he leaned against Tosh's chair, "Seems they found something that might work, given those two old atom bombs that exploded in the bunker under Bute Park."

"But people aren't stupid enough to pot their family members over this lie, right?" Suzie scoffed, "Like, I would ring up and give them my sister's name based on this crap!"

"No, but might an aunt? Cousin? Neighbour." Ianto asked as he pushed away from Tosh to address the room, "How long before they offer an incentive? Money? How long before everyone is naming anyone they even vaguely suspect? Want to get rid of for some other reason?"

"Shit" Suzie sighed, "Bastards."

"Nobody is safe, those who are not one of us will be scooped up from a vindictive phone call, experimented on and when they find them human what then?" Tosh asked softly, "They can't exactly let them go to tell everyone."

"Not Riftling, means not capable of entertaining or teaching them how to hunt and kill us more effectively" Ianto shrugged without looking at her, "I would assume they will kill them and label them one of us so they can have an inflated number of 'Affected' off the streets."

"So, what comes next?" Suzie asked, "They start to round them up?"

"No. At first they will be nice about it, touting this 'for our information' bullshit, then comes the yellow stars on their clothing before the concentration camps" Jack said in a low voice, "That's how Hitler did it folks. This is the beginning. Fuck. They will snatch one or two at first, those turned over by family so they won't be missed."

"They've probably already started" Ianto blurted with horror, "They wouldn't run this up the flag pole without fluttering some flags covertly."

"Huh?" Owen groaned.

"They must already have contingencies in place, Snatch and Grab Units already scooping up homeless and such" Ianto was animated as Tosh leaned forward to start tapping the keys as she agreed and they turned back to the screen.

"Three reports of missing persons in the last month" she said after searching, "All …shit. Homeless. Other homeless are speaking to authorities, so this has been happening a lot longer than this, right? For them to approach Heddlu, they must be worried."

"Jack?" Ianto turned to him with open fear as he stared at him and they had one of those silent conversation things then Jack nodded, picking up a phone.

"So. We have an informant called Dan. OK? Dan? Dan is missing and I want to know where he might be" Jack told them the over story, "Let's see how far we can go with a hunt for our imaginary friend."

Four hours later Jack was throwing the phone against the wall as he admitted defeat. Three agencies, eighteen different people and enough hold music to last a lifetime had taught him to fuck off. Jack tried the queen and was informed that she was not taking calls, making him even more angry and he paced as he went over Ianto's words.

Ianto was right, the flags were not only fluttering, they had been torn free and were flying on their own. Jack knew what he was seeing, the start of a time he had hoped he would miss, knew somehow he would see and now knew for certain he was going to be a part of.

The Great War.

The Rift War.

He remembered learning about it in school. The time where humans and Riftlings battled each other and the earth was almost cleaved in two. The Genocide Year that should never have been was about to begin and Jack could only stare at the team working diligently who had no idea of the crap about to fall on them.

Jack felt physically ill as he recalled the images they had been shown now knowing that those being buried in mass graves in the old photos were probably people he had met already, the past he learned of was now to be the hell he had to live.

Gods, how he wished this year had never happened.

.

.

.

.

She stopped talking, the thought of Jack's despair causing her discomfort and several adults grimaced too. The remembered words chilling them even more.

"It was the beginning of the middle words" a small voice said sadly in the darkness, the fire now low.

"Yes" she swallowed, "It is now the speaking of the middle words. The bad words and the sad times."

As some of the adults tended the fire and the drinking buckets passed around she hung her head.

Next came the time of blood.


	14. Chapter 14

14

Jack strode into the morgue and those already there jumped as he slammed the door back against the wall while entering.

"These three" he barked, pointing at the body bags that had been unloaded and the UNIT officers were standing by.

"These are ours" one said angrily and Jack smiled.

"Sorry, now they're mine" Jack shrugged and the soldier stepped forward demanding paperwork, then balked and stepped back as Ianto stepped forward as well, the small pug nosed weapon in his hand now brushing Jack's shoulder as he thrust it between the two men.

"See? All looks to be in order!" Jack grinned, watching the first gurney silently slide towards the doors. All eyes were on them and Ianto's snarl had everyone transfixed.

The second gurney slid across the floor and Jack saw one of the men waiver as he started to turn, "You know…we could ring Lizzie if ya like. Go ahead, call!"

He watched the third gurney slide away as they put in a call and he stood with his arms folded, smugly knowing they wouldn't get through. Then, to his shock they did. The one in charge smiled smugly now as he put it on speaker phone and Jack listened to the queen telling them to do what they thought best.

"Really Lizzie girl, I am so disappointed in you" Jack sighed, "I never thought I would see the day when you turned your own agency down in favour of those who seek and destroy your subjects in the name of humanity."

"Jack?"

"Well, if this is your answer to all my missed calls and ignored messages at least I know now before the bodies line the streets, because they will" Jack snarled as he took a step back, silently telling Ianto to leave while he could, "This blood will be on your hands too sweetheart, I am so sorry. The hundreds of thousands that will perish for the 'Purity Movement' …oh Lizzie. The Hunters wear red hats."

Jack had taken another step back and turned to leave as a solder barked an order for him to halt.

"You will have to kill me and even if my blood will be spilt many times in the next few months you can be sure your kind will never get the better of me" Jack roared with rage, "Let it begin. Just know that you started it, not us."

"Us?" the solder sneered, "Are you admitting to being a Rift Rat?"

"I am not a Riftling. Lizzie, you know who and what I am" Jack yelled at the phone still in the man's hand, "Shame on you!"

Jack spun and ran for the door as they finally realised the bodies were gone and started to panic.

Jack leaped into the SUV as it screeched to a halt for him and he looked in the back at the three body bags as they took off again and sighed saddened at the price he had paid to get them.

Who would have thought a little girl who once sat on his knee and cuddled him as she called him Uncle Jack would twist a knife into his back like that. He thought he could trust her, he thought the one person he could have faith in with what was going to happen would be her Majesty.

Finally he turned to face Ianto, watching as his fingers danced, his knee pressed against Tosh's as they worked feverishly to divert funds and whatever they thought might be helpful then covered their tracks as they worked. By the time Ianto looked up at Jack his eyes glowed with an unnatural green glow while filtering Tosh's power and not only had Torchwood ceased to exist, any and all supplies tagged for their use had disappeared as well.

"By this time tomorrow we will have a new base of operations" Ianto told Jack, his voice betraying his fatigue and Jack leaned forward to place a hand on his knee making Tosh squeak as Ianto inadvertently let her feel Jack's spark though the skin link.

"Sorry Tosh, I'm so tired my shields are wavering" Ianto said softly and she nodded as she rubbed her now removed knee with wonder. He hadn't been taking from her. She knew full well he had just shared.

A Riftling that could release power to another? Ianto's gentle pat to her leg told her that he knew what she was thinking and to be calm. She relaxed as she nodded to show she trusted him.

"You two are a bad combination of evil intent and criminal knowledge!" Jack scolded with a soft smile, "So. What did you get me for this wee enterprise of ours?"

"A spaceship?" Ianto said with large eyes, "I found a spaceship! Seems UNIT have managed to get one of those space pigs to fly, only a hover as they are too stupid to know how to engage the hyper drive."

"Don't tell me it's the Valiant or something" Jack sighed, "You know that isn't really a spaceship"

"This is even better!" Ianto said gleefully, "Excalibur!"

"Excalibur" Jack repeated with a frown.

"A huge space jumper that looks like something out of the Alien movie, like…huge. It's perfect for hiding behind the moon. I've called it to our rendezvous point as our new home."

"Great, don't blame me if the fucking aliens swarm or whatever! I am damn sure We don't have a Ripley on our team" Owen snipped, then grinned as he leaned through the seats, "Really? Like…a city?"

"Like a cruise ship in space" Ianto grinned back and they both made soft noises of glee.

"So, more than us can be there?" Tosh asked as she finally got their excitement level.

"Yeah. They can try but they can't kill what they can't catch" Suzie laughed softly, "We can have an entire bloody city of Riftlings up there safe from them, working to infiltrate, undermine and generally cause havoc."

"And release the dogs of war" Jack said softly, only Ianto catching the words as he reached for Jack's hand.

"It's OK Cariad" he said softly, "It means there is also a place of safety for the babans."

Jack looked up as he registered and accepted the words, wondering how he could possibly get Alice and Stephen safe as well.

.

.

.

.

.

"Stephen, he be the General Morelli!" one yelled with glee, "He be our beginnings too!"

"Yes, he be snatched up and saved in the space city!" another agreed and she grimaced.

"No." she finally corrected them, "He be snatched, but not by us. Be them red hats. They snatched first and his Mama be pissed. He be more than they realised when they took him. They thought he be useful against Captain. They didn't know!"

"He be us!" another finally got it as the adult nodded, "He be a Riftling. They not know, they think they grab a normal and they have a Riftling."

"Yes, they didn't know he is a Riftling" she smiled softly, "But they soon will."


	15. Chapter 15

15

"Alice?" Jack spoke down the phone with open shock, she never rang him it was always him begging her for contact.

The Space Freighter had arrived after dusk, the pieces of debris clinging to it telling them it had simply slammed through the hanger doors of the secret base it was being kept at. Must have scared the byjesus out of them. His beloved's glee evident as he and Owen clambered over it to remove the larger pieces and now it was being loaded.

Jack's frown changed as he listened to his frantic daughter and then he was running for Ianto who was turning as he felt his mate's fear.

"UNIT just swiped my Grandson!" Jack roared with rage "Fuckers!"

"Tosh?" Ianto called as he headed over to her workstation at a huge console and they all watched as she pulled her keyboard into her lap.

"I am still assimilating Mainframe to this Alien Tech but I will see how far she's got" she said as she began and Ianto dropped a hand to her shoulder, his own eyes becoming unfocused as he helped.

The screen flickered, died, became bright flashes and then burst into life with satellite images showing UNIT stopping at a school, CCTV showing different angles on other screens flanking the large main one.

"That's it!" Jack barked, "That's his school. Bastards."

They watched the team swarm and then Stephen was dragged out, his fear evident even as he struggled. They watched a man run after them shouting something with his arms flapping, a solder turn and shoot him. Shit.

"Send that through the secure link to Lizzie. Tag it.." Jack paused and swallowed, "Tag it 'Blood begats Blood' as we will tag anything like that for her from now on. Just the T symbol as reference, nothing else."

"Done" Tosh and Ianto said in unison, then Ianto canted his head, "Following."

Jack looked back at the screen as camera after camera showed the UNIT vehicle passing traffic cameras, sped cameras and any other piece of tech that had a recording capability. How they were doing it he didn't know and didn't care. He knew Mainframe was doing her best as well, one of his oldest friends here.

"Jack" Ianto's voice was soft as he gently pulled at his arm and Jack stepped closer to hold him as he watched the vehicle stop and Stephen was dragged out, limp and unresponsive this time.

"They drugged him, god" Jack swallowed. "He must have struggled. He must be so scared."

"Owen?" Ianto canted his head and the speakers crackled.

"Got her, on our way back" Owen replied from the SUV, glancing over at Alice who sat still and pale beside Suzie on the back, "You better have the coffee machine set up and working."

"Kiss my lovely Welsh Arse" Ianto sing-songed as he continued to watch the screen and the men carrying Stephen until they disappeared into a building.

He sped up the film and then it stopped with the clock in the bottom left-hand corner showing the current time. "They've not left. This is his current location."

"What camera is this?" Jack asked.

"Their security" Tosh answered after examining something, "Ianto had tapped into their secure line."

"I want my boy" Jack said grimly and Ianto nodded, "Extraction?"

"As soon as they are back we are wheels up Sir" Ianto replied with his back straightening, "We will hit them hard and fast, leave nobody standing. That will be our message. Hit us, we hit back and our punch is stronger."

"Gods, that sounds like a blurb for a movie" Jack snorted and Ianto felt himself relax slightly as he felt his mate start to rally.

The SUV roared up the ramp into the bowels of the ship and the ramp slowly rose after them, Owen swinging in the seat to glare back, "Fuck Yan. If there were aliens and shit we'd be dead with the slow fucking movement there!"

In answer the ramp slammed shut and Owen jumped, squeaking with surprise, "Fucker."

Jack was on the flight deck and Alice faltered as she entered the bridge to see him there, his coat off and his shirt sleeves rolled, his hand resting on the shoulder of a handsome young man who was sitting beside a little Asian woman.

"Wheels up" Ianto said calmly, "Engaging thrusters, lift off."

The vessel gently rose, only a slight tug in your gut letting you know you were going up like an elevator, then Ianto raised a hand and tilted it, the vessel following as he controlled it.

"Mainframe now at 80%. Almost there" Tosh said calmly as she watched the hand move forward and then they felt her fly, Jack stating to grin as that age old tug of G-Force being buffered by internal anti-grav kicked in.

"we are flying" Ianto said without fanfare.

"90%" Tosh called out, "Ianto, she is signalling control if you want to disengage?"

Ianto clapped his hands and there was a tilt and dip as everyone grabbed for something, Ianto called out. "Franny? Got it?"

YES THANK YOU IANTO

Came the reply across the screen in large white letters and then the whining noise stopped and they were moving more gracefully, the vessel now totally under her control as Mainframe explored her new freedom, power and rejoiced in her new home.

"Right sweetheart" Jack said gently, "Let's go get the boy."

AFFIRMATIVE JACK

The vessel gently banked as she headed for the safe house where Stephen was being held and Jack looked over at Suzie and Owen, their weapons being loaded as Owen grinned with glee.

Ianto rose to go over to them and Owen spoke quietly, "Sit this one out, yeah?"

"Owen…"

"Bun, oven, no!" Owen hissed, "You might be forgetting but I am not and I do not want you in the line of fire. This is gonna get hairy, you know it is and you can just suck it up and stay back here with Tosh, OK? We will have Jack and he is not going to stop. Fucking Terminator that one, OK?"

Ianto finally nodded and let his hand touch Owen's shoulder affectionately, "Come back to us."

"Always brother" Owen said gently as he patted the hand, "I promise."

Ianto nodded and had no choice but the settle back in the chair as Tosh reached for his hand, the only thing she could do was offer comfort as their men went to battle.

Alcee settled in a jump seat to watch the large screen as the compound came into view and the Safe House roof started to slide under the vessel.

"Game on motherfucker" Owen panted with excitement as he ripped the Velcro on his vest and winked at Tosh while tightening the vest, "Game on!"

The large bay doors opened as the lights flashed and klaxons sounded in warning. The men took a deep breath as Jack strode out first along the ramp to jump down the few feet she was hovering above the ground making little plumes of dust puff around his ankles, Suzie in the middle and Owen following.

Time to go to war.

.

.

.

.

"Alice be the daughter, but she be the mother too" she told the children as the fire raged once more, "She be of London but her babe be a Cardiff boy. He be us, seeded in Cardiff with a Riftling Dadda and the London Rift Ribbon feeding him."

"He was waiting for them" a boy threw a stick into the flames and watched it burn, "He be waiting for the sign."

"Yes, he be ready and he is become" she answered. "Now, they will know, too late they will see they have caged something that does not see bars as a danger."

"He is the Captain's blood and the Rift's love!" an Adult finally spoke as she comforted a small child in her lap, "He is strong with the power and he is ready."

"Yes" the woman laughed, her head thrown back and her dreads flying, "He be ready for war. His grandfather's blood made him so. Twelve and fully powered. A soldier. A Warrior. He be ready."

"But what did they do?" little yes were wide with fear and she leaned forward to comfort.

"Why…they won of course darling." She crooned, "We be here ain't we?"


	16. Chapter 16

16

Stephen was in a holding cell, the walls fire proof and the stink of fire retardant in the air.

He frowned as he heard a faint screaming and knew sooner or later that would be him, his anger thrumming as he tried to control himself, so far they hadn't realised he had the gift and if his mother taught him anything, it was how to hide.

Then he heard shouting, several voices and he also knew gunfire when he heard it, rising from the bunk to try and peer down the corridor, the lights flickering enough to give you an eye twitch.

"Stephen" a voice called out and he recognised it, his heart soaring with relief.

"Uncle Jack" he reached a hand through the bars and waved it, then felt that familiar shift in his gut as his power demanded release. Now or never. Time to shine.

Stephen stepped back from the door and took a deep breath, pulling his wrists together and splaying out his fingers like a fan, and then he puffed as he pushed his arms straight, the door creaking.

OK, need to do better soldier, he thought to himself in his Uncle's voice.

Stephan planted his feet and this time he bent his knees and thrust violently, the door flying back to slam into the wall on the other side of the corridor was so satisfying as he looked at the debris falling. He stepped into the corridor and looked to his left, finding his Uncle racing towards him with no sign of horror or fear at what he had been close enough to witness.

"Good boy, come on, follow us" Jack demanded, racing past and Stephen looked at the crazy haired woman then followed as several others dressed like him filed past and the rat face man fell in behind.

"This way" Jack called over his shoulder, then flinched as the corner he was swinging around was hiding an ambush and he swing back with a hand over his arm, "bastards shot me! How fucking dare they, that smarts!"

"He's fine T-Boy, stop yelling in me ear ya Twat!" Owen said calmly as he rolled his eyes,"We're pinned down, get us out."

Klaxons sounded and Jack frowned, then his eyes widened as he swing to face then, "Cover your mouth, Ianto is turning on the Haylon Fire Extinguishing System. Gas, gas, gas."

They slapped hands over their mouths and turned away from the corner, the noise finally stopping and a white mist floating past. Stephan took a breath and stepped around Jack, flinging his arms wide and the white mist few aside like Moses parting the red sea.

"Come on, he's vented it now" Jack said calmly as he straightened up and stalked back out, this time shooting those writhing on the floor in death throes showing what little mercy he felt. Owen followed with soft crowing, not the least bit upset at the lives taken and his vest camera showed the body count to be eight.

They ran onto the ramp and it started to rise as they entered the ship. Jack watched Alice seize her son on her arms, crying softly as she ran her hands over him checking for injury.

"Mom, I'm OK" he laughed softly, "Uncle Jack got me out."

"Are you kidding?" Jack asked with pride, "Seems like you had it all under control soldier."

"Jack" the voice so soft that they barely heard it and Jack surged forward to seize Ianto, holding him tight as the man wept for those he had just killed, his lovely gentle heart conflicted. He sagged against Jack drawing strength, comfort and Jack tucked him under his chin as he crooned.

"Uncle Jack?" Stephen asked anxiously, "Is he OK?"

"This is Ianto" Jack said softly, "He is my love. My bond mate and he is Riftling like you. He is also pregnant with my child and he is the one who just got us out of there. He's tired, sad and needs comfort. I am going to take him and find a berth somewhere for a while so he can sleep off the effort he just put in."

"I'm sorry" Stephen sighed, "You did that for me and you don't even know me."

"I know Jack" Ianto said against Jack's chest "all I need to know about you. If you are his, you are good. If you are his you are mine too. We will always come for you, OK? Family will always come."

Stephen nodded as he let his mother hug him too, the words sinking in that the man in the suit was pregnant. Wow.

"I don't know a lot about Riftlings, only the propaganda. I had a friend who was Riftling and she was helping me with some underground publications but she…she disappeared a week ago and the word is she was snatched at a rally." Stephen told him, "She said…she told me the first blood would be on them, not us."

"And so it is" Jack agreed sadly, "And this is how it all began. Go with your mother, she will show you the flight deck, bet you wanna see that? Welcome aboard the Excalibur by the way. And yes, she is a spaceship."

"Cool" Stephen grinned as he followed his mother, "Cool bananas."

"Thank you" a man stepped forward and offered his hand, "Walter. Walter Gant, this is my wife Amber. Thank you for helping us, we are not blood and you could have left us in our cells."

"No I couldn't'" Jack said back with a gentle nod of his head, "You are blood. We are ALL blood now. Our blood is one. To leave you is to leave a piece of us behind. It's us against them now and our blood is one."

.

.

.

.

.

"The magic is in the words" they all chanted, even the adults as they nodded.

"Yes" she smiled, "They have agreed. He spoke the words and so it be true. We are all one. That is why we win. They kill one of us it is merely a drop of blood as we are huge, we are still here. We are one."

"And we win" a little one said defiantly, his chin stuck out with pride.

"Yes Jaxton" she smiled softly at this special one, "We always win because there will always be us. Kill one, ten, a hundred. Another steps in to take the spot vacated. We are unstoppable coz we flow like water. Our blood is one."

"And One is enough to do anything." They nodded in agreement, "For the magic is in the blood too."


	17. Chapter 17

17

Ianto was exhausted, his feet stumbling against each other as Jack half dragged him into the large quarters that had clearly been the Captain's Berth. There was an image of a knight's glove clasping a sword over the top of the bed and Jack found it apt.

Jack didn't have time to consider who he was upsetting or whatever toes might be stepped on as he slammed the door and picked Ianto up, carrying him to bed and a sharp rap heralded the arrival of Owen with his medical bag, waling over to help settle Ianto.

"Sorry" Ianto slurred, "So tired."

"Its OK love" Jack crooned as he watched Owen scan and check their unborn child, his calm demeanour helping Jack relax as it was apparent here was nothing wrong there.

Owen looked up to comfort Ianto and grinned at the sleeping beauty as Jack stroked his hair and started to pull the covers up.

"Let him sleep as long as he needs" Owen said as he packed things away, "He did a lot today, fuck. Did you know he moved this entire fucking ship?"

"When it's really big you can call it a boat" Jack grinned, "How many floors?"

"Elevator says eight, but the flight deck counts as nine, why is it not numbered?" Owen asked, "The only one actually named?"

"Because it is the last line of defence" Jack replied softly, "If the vessel is damaged or under attack the flight deck had extra defences. In a time of emergency Franny can disengage the security to let everyone up there into the extra shielding. Even a meteor storm that can render the hull Swiss cheese cannot damage that. Safe inside the bubble, we can survive."

These were built for that?"

"Yes, long haulers. These sort of pleasure boats, like our cruise ships on earth, then as they age they become busses, then staff transporters, down the levels she goes until she is another Junker trolling around the system with pirates or scavengers at the helm."

"Space Pirates" Owen snorted with mirth. "Big fucking parrot raging in the bowels of this beast, Myfanwy is bloody pissed at being moved. Shit, imagine if Janet and her cohorts get loose in here, it really will be Aliens all over again."

"Yeah, a vessel like this would probably see out her time as a stock carrier or maybe a prisoner transport" Jack shrugged, "Ironic, she will get her second wind with the Riftlings. An entire society up here, enough room for over a hundred souls, maybe more once we refit the huge storage areas into dorms."

"This is war, isn't it" Owen said sadly, knowing this was going to get a lot worse than they had seen already.

"Yes" Jack answered simply, "Owen, they declared war when they took the first prisoners. Spilled the first blood. You saw the bodies in that torture chamber"

Owen nodded as he glanced at the sleeping man, hoping Ianto didn't know the fate of those poor souls that had succumbed before they could be rescued, the slaughter house reminiscent of the cannibal house.

"Suzie said something about her sister, a secure line?" Owen said after both men had spent a few moments in silence, "Looks like we are getting visitors once we work out a safe rendezvous spot."

I HAVE AN IDEA ON THAT

Jack blinked at the screen above the bed as Owen leaned back.

"Fran?"

THERE ARE PLANETARY HOPPERS IN THE AFT CARGO BAY

"Bullshit, are you telling me they never found the transport pods?" Jack was amazed, "Shit. OK, let's go see."

They left Ianto to his slumber and raced down to the large metal doors that showed the scars of attempted infiltration.

"OK Mother, let us in" Owen snarked and the lights flashed a warning as the huge doors rose, Walter coming to watch was well.

"Shit" he said softly, "are those smaller ones for ship to shore…er planet?"

"Quick study I hope" Jack grinned as he moved forward, "I'm gonna need pilots."

"Are you kidding?" he laughed, "My wife and I are both Techies."

"Lovely" Owen grinned as he peered into a cockpit, "These wee buggers have weapons."

"Of course they have" Jack said with surprise, "They are for security."

"Good" Ianto said from the doorway and they spun looking chagrined like kids peering at the Christmas presents under their parent's bed "Then they can sweep ahead of us and if we can use those this big bird doesn't need to enter the atmosphere where she might be fired upon. I know she has shields but we shouldn't have to overextend her engines."

"Agreed" Jack jumped down from the small vessel that was a cross between a crop plane and a hamster ball, "Come on. Let's leave them to their fun. Hungry?"

"Yes Cariad" Ianto smiled, "I fell asleep."

"Yes you did, once we have a feed let's do that some more, OK?" Jack said as his hand slid to Ianto's stomach, "We have our own passenger on board."

"Sap" Ianto whispered, leaning in for a kiss.

Standing there in the first stage of space, surrounded by the means of their defence with his beloved in his arms Jack felt like they truly might do it.

They might just get through this.

Then the whisper in the back of his mind as he looked at his love.

Is this the beginning of the Riftling Empire?

For does not a great King wield Excalibur as his weapon?

.

.

.

.

Like the Richard bod!" a young man said, poking the child cuddled against him, "Remember? The old fable said his sword was called that."

"Sword in the stone!" a voice called out.

"Ship in the secret facility that they thought would never fly, yes." She laughed at them, their love of this vessel still, "Excalibur cuts the dead wood."


	18. Chapter 18

18

Suzie was nervously checking her watch as they waited in the Wilding Wood, the sounds in the trees unnerving her even as Ianto seemed unconcerned by it, proving correct as the noise died away and they were left in peace.

"There she is" he said softly, striding forward with Jack to meet Amy and her partner, the others filing along behind them looking at the small vessels waiting to transport them and Ianto clambered into one, calling out that he could take four passengers.

"This is going to take several trips" Tosh said softly as Walter did his final checks and powered up beside her, "Suzie, you might be down here for a while."

"You go toots" Owen called from his spot nearer the road, "We'll keep sectioning them into groups for flight, you five keep jumping."

Walter and his wife started to lift off, Ianto joining them as Tosh waved to Owen and followed suit. Jack was last to lift off, scanning the ground below as he did so, still worried about detection.

There were at least four more trips ahead of them and he didn't know if they would have the time to move all of them, not with radar probably picking up the Bubbles as Ianto had called them.

"Don't worry Cariad, we will get it done" Ianto said softly, "Franny tells me she might be able to pilot a couple remotely once she is in position for evac."

"That would help Tiger" Jack agreed and he watched the bubbles break the atmosphere and then he looked up at the old girl waiting for them, her airlock doors open to receive. They entered and all touched down, waiting for the doors to close and the colour of the lights to change from red to green to signify airtight and breathable atmosphere once more.

"Right, everybody out, next stop women's underwear!" Jack quipped as everyone laughed and they exited and followed Alice into the secondary receiving room, then they watched her close the doors and wave as the lights flickered and changed to red in the room they had just left. This time two extra bubbles rose without Pilots to follow.

Stephen was waiting with questionnaires, telling everyone they were welcome and looking so much like Jack as he flashed them a smile that Alice couldn't help but grin back at him, those already on board from the holding facility already acting like crew that had been there for years.

If it's one thing you can be sure about when it comes to Riftlings, it is their ability to assimilate.

It was during the final extraction that they came, travelling low. The drones were silver and shiny, the sound of them cutting the air like a musical note and Ianto called out a warning as the nearest one to him fired a laser beam at him, trying to blind him.

Jack quickly moved to intercept and slid between them, taking the next shine, then to his shock a smell had him looking up to find the laser beam was more intense than first thought.

"Their lasers are cutting the shields" Jack called out, turning his own shielding to max and swinging a wing into the nearest one, sending it against the tree. He then flicked up the safely flap for his guns and opened fire.

"Cariad" Ianto warned, "More incoming, let's move."

"Right" Jack grinned up at Ianto who was visible through the window and Ianto shot up like a bullet followed by Tosh with Owen now on board.

Jack waited to go last, making sure the others were breaching the lower atmosphere before moving from the trees and startling the little fuckers who were still trying to fire on the escapees.

Cariad, rattle your dags and get up here!" Ianto demanded, "There are more of them zeroing in on you."

"I'm trying" Jack said through clenched teeth, the alarms sounding in the small cabin space as he realised a couple of the things had been working quietly on the undercarriage of his vessel and he was having trouble sealing the shields.

Ianto had exited his bubble, waving for them to all get past the airlock doors as he stood watching on the screen. Jack was faltering and he sighed as he walked over to place a hand against the main hull, searching for Mainframe and connecting.

Jack felt his bubble start to ascend more quickly than usual and he looked at his controls as they flickered and started to work without him, so he placed his hands in his lap and waited for the bubble to settle and the doors started to close, he then looked outside and was shocked to see Ianto standing there waiting, without breathing apparatus.

Shit.

The lights changed and he stepped out, watching Ianto as he crouched to check the damage, "Jack, it appears more than a couple, they had almost burned right through the fuselage. It looks like they were trying to cut you out."

"Ianto …" Jack fumbled and then grinned, "You know you were out here without air, right?"

Ianto blinked, then frowned, "I guess I didn't need any."

Jack laughed as he offered his hand and Ianto accepted it, walking in to start more formal introductions with their latest crew members.

.

.

.

.

"He doesn't need air because he IS air!" she told the children, "He can live for a time without it, like a fish out of water. However…what can he NOT live without?"

"Power!" several called out and she looked over them to a silent teen, raising her eyebrows.

"Loyalty" he said sullenly, "If he is betrayed it will break him more than a blade to his heart."

"Yes" she nodded, "For now he was vulnerable. For even a Riftling must trust in order to belong. And with trust, comes…."

"Betrayal" the teen snarled angrily, knowing the story and looking from the fire to the black void around them. Yes, he knows this part.

All Riftlings fear this.

Betrayal by another.


	19. Chapter 19

19

It was three days later that they got word of the lists then Mainframe hacked into UNIT to retrieve them and they waited anxiously as the screen filled with names and the people who had named them, Ianto making a noise of dismay as he spied his own niece named by her father, the stupid fat fuck Johnny.

"How old is she again?" Jack frowned, "I thought you said she was the littlest one."

"Barely six" Ianto sighed "No way she would be exhibiting, if she is one of us at all. No, the boy takes after him. David is a replica but Micha…well. She looks like me, I guess he is getting in early for the reward money."

"Right" Jack clapped his hands, "What do we do then?"

"I'm guessing Rhiannon doesn't know so I would like to talk to her if possible, give her the choice of coming with" Ianto said, his eyes wide as Jack considered, knowing he would nod before he did.

"Thank you Cariad" Ianto sighed with relief and he set up the meeting, the park where they played as kids.

He saw her sitting there ten minutes before their arranged time. Such a Jones. Micha was playing on the monkey bars and there was no sign of her male family members so he wondered if she knew, or suspected.

"Rhia" he called out, walking over to sit next to her with a soft smile, "That colour is nice on you."

She nodded, nervously rubbing her hands on her legs like she used to when they were children and she was about to tell him she was sneaking out to meet Johnny instead of babysitting him. Ianto felt a strange stirring in his gut and he reached out to place his hand over hers, smiling encouragement as he asked if she was OK.

He felt it.

He snatched his hand back and gaped at her as it became clear and he went to rise but she caught his arm, "I'm sorry. It's the only way they could get you. You know you need help. It all makes sense Ianto, you're sick. Going home to Grandpa and Grandma each school holidays, Ianto you need help. Johnny and I knew they could never catch you, they said you were part of the underground movement. Please go with them, get help."

"Oh Rhia" Ianto felt his heart breaking as he extracted his arm, leaving her for the last time, "They will kill her, as they will kill me if they catch me. We are not being helped, we are being exterminated. You put your own daughter's name down on a death list."

"No" she frowned, "They have these hospitals…"

"They experiment, torture and then destroy" he snarled, "I trusted you. Bad enough you betray me but the baby, gods. How could you."

"She'll be fine" Rhia scoffed looking over at Micha, "They promised not to touch her."

"I …gods. I can't even explain. I can't tell you why I ….oh Rhia. Must I lose my sister this way? Not even a grave to visit." Ianto sobbed, turning in time to see Owen standing near the sandpit where he was calling Micha over with a small puppy in his arms.

"Shame on you" Ianto roared loudly, staggering back and taking all eyes to him as Owen blinked away with the child seeming to walk on her own toward the bushes.

"Acquired love, get out of there" Jack purred in his ear, "Come home to me."

"I love you" Ianto said sadly, "Always and forever I will love you. But I will never forgive you."

A little girl who wore a red jacket similar to Micha's screamed as she was grabbed by a man in black fatigues and a red cap, Ianto gasp with horror as he looked around or more.

"Micha?" Rhia called for her daughter with confusion as the little girl screamed and then went limp, the real mother now screaming as she ran to grab her child and as the commotion grew with the father of the child chiming in Ianto stepped back, seeking the power he had taken from Owen before his arrival then he breathed out and….

Disappeared in front of her.

"Ianto?"

"Wrong child, seek and destroy!" a man yelled into a radio and she paled as she struggled to reach the seat again, watching another child run screaming as it was pursued, a riot now starting as parents panicked.

Ianto sat in the bubble with his niece in his arms as she wept, afraid and confused as she clung to him and he could only apologise as he craved Jack's touch. The young girl who had been the puppy transformed back in an attempt to help and Ianto felt affection as he was reminded that there was still family around him.

They touched down and Jack as there, engulfing them both as Ianto broke down, crying for his sister, his niece and his own broken heart.

"How bad is it?" Ianto sobbed.

"They are trying to take David" Jack sighed, "They have backed down because Rhia made such a fuss and there was a reporter there with his own blonde haired little girl in a red jacket. It's already picking up speed, they had to leave the kids behind."

"Gods, so they might have spared her?"

"No" Suzie snarled angrily as she approached, her hair flying and a PDA in her hand, "They placed a kill order on her and you. Seems you were on the list several times over and she was the only leverage they could find."

"How could she" Ianto sobbed, collapsing against Jack and he shuffled him away to their quarters with the wee girl in their arms between them.

Finally in the safely of their bed Jack wept sadly, the grief from his mate thrumming in his own heart as Ianto tried to take as much as he could from Micha's, lulling her to sleep.

Jack knew Ianto would never forgive her.

Not that level of disloyalty.

.

.

.

.

.

"He lost his sister there" one of the older parents said sadly, "I remember betrayal like that, my own mother told me of her Grandmother in hiding. Blood turned on blood and they learned that blood had nothing to do with birth and everything to do with the Rift."

"Well spoken" the Old Mother nodded, her eyes shining as she looked no older than twenty in the firelight, "Blood is blood and we are all blood. Rift in our veins."

"Loyalty in our blood!" they chanted the old words.


	20. Chapter 20

20

"I don't care how it happened, make sure it doesn't happen again" Jack was roaring as he struggled to stop the water pouring from the broken pipe and Ianto stood watching for a while, then turned to the young woman and cleared his throat, "Maybe it's time to 'fess up?"

"It's my fault" she called out as she agreed with the man she had seen walking around with the Captain, "Tory? Can you help?"

A boy bounced over and waved his hand over the pipe, stopping the flow and showing himself to be elemental.

"I was throwing it at Pierre, I never meant to hit the pipe" she said to Jack who stood dripping.

"Coolant" Jack said calmly, "This is to keep the integrity of the hull intact. It may be cold in space but there is a heat when we move. We lose the coolant, we lose the thin skin stopping us from dying in the vacuum of space."

"I said sorry." She sniffed, then squeaked as she felt something seize her, lifting her off the ground and she slowly pivoted to see the suited man standing closer.

"The Captain has to keep this bird in the air, you do understand that right?" Ianto said softly, "A breach in the hull would impact it like an empty soda can."

Ianto slapped his hands together and the others jumped, then she hovered closer as he crooked a finger like he was about to impart a little part of his wisdom, "If you endanger my family you will suffer my ire. Remember, they are your family too. We must endure, we must care for one another. You have to learn to stem your anger or find an outlet. Perhaps hand to hand combat?"

She blinked as she felt her feet return to the ground and she looked around to see who had been holding her.

Ianto flicked a wrist at the pipe and the damage seemed to implode and repair like someone had a video on visual rewind, a small stone appearing.

"That's mine!" a boy yelled, "You bloody thief! That's my worry stone! I've been looking everywhere or that!"

Ianto canted his head as he looked back at her again, a raised eyebrow and to her surprise he started to smile.

"A pirate" Jack crowed happily, "You said there would be others on board already."

"What's your name?" Ianto asked and she smiled softly.

"Carole" she said after considering, "I'm a snatcher."

"Oh come now," Ianto smiled softly, "We both know you are much more than that little one. You know Doctor Harper is a hider too?"

"Really?" she asked with surprise, "I never seen him….oh. Right. Funny."

"We are building a colony up here, but…" Jack stepped closer and spoke softly, "We are also building an army. A small team capable of doing what we must. Bad things are happening and it's only the beginning. The time will come when we have some sneaking and misbehaving to do. We are looking for those capable of making a difference, ruffling feathers and the occasional snatch and grab if we need to rescue someone or…well….borrow something?"

Her face lit up as she turned to the suited man again, "Seriously? Me? You would trust me?"

Ianto reached out and caught her wrist, sensing and compiling, then he snorted as he let her go, "Good. Yes Cariad, she'll do nicely. I would place her with Walter's team. They need a mouse to slip into those more sensitive areas where ghosts can get the job done."

"Ghost" Jack said, nodding, "Hear that? You call sign is Ghost."

"And you are Captain" she pointed, having heard it around the place.

"And apparently they call me the Dragon" Ianto added, watching her face pale as she turned to face him again, now knowing who she was standing next to. Anyone who had ties to the underground knew that name, Ianto had been active in the community most of his adult life and although they didn't have a formal class system he was considered one of the top dogs.

"So…wow. I thought I was coming up here for some sort of rally and a talk up before getting dumped again" she said with newfound respect, "This is real. The real deal, right?"

"Carole, we are in space, in a large spaceship that was once used for pleasure cruises around the stars. We are mutant Riftling that are about to be exterminated like vermin if we don't stand up for ourselves and each other. Yes. This is real" Jack said as he noted the audience they were attracting.

"Times are changed, as are we. We are the catalyst, we are the cause. Therefore I have decided that we are to be called the Children of Time" Ianto said and Jack felt the chill in his spine as he remembered reading those words in the history books, watching his handsome mate raise his head, "We are both Prince and Pauper. We are dark and light. We are Riftlings, the future of mankind and either they get on board or they get lost in the cosmos. We are standing here readying for battle. Our armour may not be shiny and our weapons may not be bold but we are here, we are together and we have the power to make the earth itself shift on its axis if we put our minds to it."

"We will survive" Carole said with wonder.

"Yes" Ianto turned to look at her, his face serene as his hands lowered to her shoulder, "Carole. We start now. You and me. Knights, champions, warriors."

"Kings" Jack said softly, knowing the words.

The old words of the in-between.

.

.

.

.

.

"Coz he is one of us!" a child crowed, "He sits here, listens to the old words, knows the story and now he is in it."

"Yes" she smiled lovingly as she reached out to stroke his little face, "Yes Jaxton, this is why I come, why I say the words because one day the Captain must remember."

"He remembers the words!" they chanted and she leaned in even closer, making sure she was looking into the boy's eyes, her own swirling with the vortex within.

"Remember. Kings do not just sit on a throne. They do not just rule. They must conquer!" she said softy with sorrow, "Remember. In order to win the war, you must lose some battles. Even the smallest battle could be the one to turn the tide and above all else…"

He looked at her with childish wonder.

"A King does not just wear a crown…Jax, his colours must fly!"


	21. Chapter 21

21

Ianto was exhausted from the day's work, most of the new bunks now set up for the next wave of refugees.

There was over thirty here now, various ages, powers and dispositions. Arguments had started, fractions splitting despite his attempts to keep them all happy. Jack had told him this would happen, the different powers making them clash but he had so hoped for peace.

The final straw was when it had happened at breakfast, a clash that upended chairs and was almost a bloody riot, all because one called the other a dirty rat. Gods preserve us, we are all fucking rats now. Rats in a maze of our own making…or rats deserting a sinking shit or….gods, this could do your head in thinking about all the derogatory things you can call yourself.

Maybe with rest will come clarity? The dreams were getting worse. Each new person he encountered, met and gleaned, not only joined the cause and family but also his dreams. For some reason the baby was influencing him, making it harder to shield from others so each touched hand or brush in the corridor was sparking in his brain, showing him random images of their lives. He had wept, raged and laughed when alone as their memories were shown to him but Gods, sleep would be nice.

Jack was still going strong and Ianto's gentle request to rest had been met with a soft smile and wave of the hand giving him a spike of annoyance at being shooed away like a dog at the dinner table. Jack felt it and swung to apologise but Ianto was already wraithing away, tired, hurt and hormonal. Did no one remember his own passenger?

He entered a room with soft lighting and a woman who was sitting on some cushions, the entire room looking like a cross between a bohemian bordello and an Arabian fairy tale but there was something about this woman that drew him near and she flicked her wrist to close the door behind him, raising her head to stare at him long and hard before pointing to a large pile of cushions.

Ianto sank into them and sighed softly with relief as his tired feet kicked off his boots. The woman moved nearer and started to caress his forehead, his mind sparking as she fed him her power. He was too tired to catalogue or respond. Letting her give what she wanted, take what she wanted.

"I have a baby" he slurred after drifting for a while, "Have a care mother dear. Don't harm the wee spark."

"Hush now, I would never harm that" she crooned, leaning down to kiss his forehead and he gasped as his back arched, the vortex swirling in his veins, burning like a cold glacier stream.

"Hush now" she released him and watched him settle into the cushions, his head lolling as he gave in and slipped into the void. "It's all going to be OK, let the brain box have an emptiness to it. You don't need to cram it so full of thoughts. It's OK. I'm here, you're here and the world turns below. I give you strength."

She waited until his breathing lengthened and he finally slept without the dreams that had plagued him. She rose to leave and opened the door to find Jack on the other side about to knock.

"Old mother?"

"Hello wee one" she replied happily, "Go. He sleeps now. Have a care, the little grub takes his strength. He must slow down and rest, the grub needs to as well. Gonna be bad times ahead, you remember the words, don't you."

"Yes" Jack swallowed convulsively as he looked at her, reaching out to stroke her cheek lovingly before leaning in to kiss her where his finger had lingered, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For the words" he whispered as he looked into her eyes, seeing the wolf looking back, "For those bits of the in between. Thank you old mother, for the story. I know what I must do, I know. I remember the words. I promise."

"Of course you do" she smiled, "You are a good boy, always were."

He smiled and released her, watching her step back around the corner and then he stepped around after her not surprised to find an empty space.

She still came and went as she pleased.

.

.

.

.

"Coz he be of here!" the girl with the pink hair said, "He sits here and hears the words, that's why you come back. Every year you tell us, you speak the words so one day he will be the one who hears them."

"Yes, here at the end of the story, it must one day begin" she nodded, "But the magic is not in this meeting. No, it is in the in-between."

"The magic is in the words" they agreed and she smiled as she looked at the little boy who leaned against her knee, hugging her skirts.

"The magic be here tonight, all around us" she finally said softly, "For I am the words written on the wall."

"I am the Bad Wolf."


	22. Chapter 22

22

Ianto was screaming and Jack ran along the narrow corridors of the vessel, slamming around corners and bouncing off walls as he flew to his side to watch the screens with equal horror.

It was a massacre.

"The fools" Owen said sadly, "They really thought they could have a peaceful demonstration? Shit, over half of them are human. Oh gods, I can't watch."

In comparison, Ianto couldn't look away.

He clung to Jack as he sobbed watching the Riftlings in the crowd try to save their human friends and family as the UNIT soldiers opened fire. There was no way they could do it, no way to save themselves along with them so they chose to drop their arms and hold those they loved, dying in the hail of bullets.

Jack was cold, he knew his face was betraying his anguish as he watched, the tears joining those around him and all he could so was hear the words in the back of his mind,

"They were lambs to the slaughter"

Jack swung, expecting to see the Old Mother again and instead of her he found Suzie watching with her arms around Amy, trying to comfort her.

"Jack, I'm gonna…gonnna…." Ianto stammered and Jack lunged back to grab him as he fell, scooping him up as everyone gasped.

"He's with child" Jack informed those who didn't know, "He's delicate and this…this is too much. Gods, I have to get him away from this noise."

Jack hurried to their quarters and settled Ianto in the bed, now terrified and when Ianto stirred back to consciousness it was to Owen arguing with Jack.

"He's OK, come on" Owen snarled, "I don't know why you are so bloody het up."

"Owen" Ianto said softly, "Please leave us. See if some of the Jumpers managed to get away, if the Hiders snuck others away with them? Offer assistance."

Jack swung to face Ianto and he knew. Gods, he knew. Jack saw Ianto's face change as he blanched and looked away.

"I wasn't sure" Jack said softly, "I thought…I thought maybe we had more time. We were building the resistance and I thought this was months away."

"You knew" Ianto hissed, "You knew, you remembered this from your fucking history books!"

"It's not a book" Jack sat with a sigh of regret, "A story. Told over the hundreds of years since this time, an old fable passed along. This is…oh Ianto."

Ianto pulled him into his arms as he realised Jack was telling the truth and just as surprised as him that this had happened, "Oh Cariad."

"The first massacre was foretold" Jack sobbed, "We were told it was humans killing humans with us trying to stop it, only to fail. They will blame us, stay we did the killing, try to silence the press but it will already be going viral in the sharing sites by now. Gods. This was not supposed to be so soon."

"Tell me" Ianto demanded, "Tell me why you are in knots, tell me what happens next."

"This was called the Peaceful Massacre" Jack said as he let Ianto stroke his face, "The next…gods. The next one becomes something else. I can't say, what if telling you changes it, creates a paradox?"

"Jack, I am pregnant with your child" Ianto whispered, "You know the story because you are from the future, technically you are adding to your own bloodline, right? You think a paradox hasn't already been created? You said yourself, this was not supposed to happen yet."

"Tell me!" Ianto demanded.

"The next skirmish is….it's called the Battle of the Dragon's Blood" Jack said as he placed a hand over his love's stomach, "I was told, the story goes that this battle is where the Dragon loses his child."

Ianto stared at him long an hard, then frowned, "When were you going to tell me this?"

"When I was sure I could find a way around it" Jack replied.

"Casualties incoming, if you're interested" Owen yelled down the coms and they rose to help, Ianto shaking off Jack's requests to slow down.

The Bubbles continued to come, blood, guts and tears along with them. Some already dying, some cold and still as their bodies were wept over to one side. Everyone pitched in trying to do what they could. It didn't matter who was Riftling, who was human. They were all family there on that day.

There were so many wounded, so many needing help and Ianto knew he had to pull back, Jack's words in his head as he finally stepped back and admitted defeat, walking with Jack back to their quarters where Ianto sat staring into space as he tried to make sense of everything.

The sudden jolt sent him flying and Jack roared as he threw himself in front of Ianto, trying to catch him as the klaxons sounded, announcing the loss of pressure as the hull vented precious air into space.

Excalibur started to list as Mainframe screamed for assistance.

Jack hadn't heard this part either.

.

.

.

.

Old mother stopped speaking for a moment as they all watched the flames explode, then she sighed.

Tonight, she was skipping a part as she usually did. But there in the back of her mind she knew, that date, that moment she didn't say was the moment the Riftling went to war.


	23. Chapter 23

23

Ianto lay for a moment in Jacks' arms, then struggled to his feet and they both fought against the lean to get out into the corridor.

"Report" Jack yelled, not caring who answered. The voice was feminine and one he'd not heard in many years but knew well. She had grown silent as she had infiltrated the technology of the Hub and he was pleased to find she was still herself in there.

"We have a major hull breach" Mainframe yelled back, her fear evident as she growled and fought the main thrusters, "Hurry Jack, we are losing."

"I'm already running love, tell me what you need!" Jack demanded and lights flashed in sequence, forming a direction to follow, leading them to a main airtight door with people trying to open it.

"Shit, past there?" Jack asked with open confusion, "The infirmary? Why?"

"Because one of the humans we saved brought the bomb on board" Ianto said simply, cursing himself for being so stupid.

"Ianto, the baby. You have to stand back" Jack said with sudden clarify and Ianto answered with little emotion.

"I am fine. It's already happened"

Jack felt himself wobble as he looked down at Ianto's stomach and Ianto shook his head, "Not the baby. The child. Jack…Micha is in there."

Jack frowned, then his face changed as he started yelling instructions as everyone looked at him like he had lost his mind, "You don't understand! There are Riftlings in there too, I remember this. Yan, she's still there but their power is waning, they can't hold the shield much longer."

Ianto suddenly got what Jack was saying and he surged forward to reach out and touch the door, feeling the energy thrumming as those pressed against it on the other side fought to keep a little pocket of air around them with their powers.

"Do you…do you think she's there?" Ianto whispered.

"I know she is!" Jack grinned, "I remember. Gods, I remember this part, I watched the flames!"

"Flames" Ianto blinked then nodded, throwing his arms wide as he roared with animalistic rage and the air seemed to shimmer and wobble with a shock wave, then two people seemed to fall through the door like it was liquid and Ianto took a deep breath.

"What the fuck!" Owen spluttered as he looked up at him, "Ta buddy."

"Love you too, get out of the way" Ianto snarled, taking another breath and Owen helped Tosh to her feet, pulling her back as Ianto roared again.

Like a wild animal screaming into a storm, he raged. His teeth bared with his eyes wide and crazy, Ianto seemed to become a wild beast, his hands clawing as he snorted and snarled.

"Heat" Jack said with awe, "He's charging the molecules of the door, making it fluctuate so some can get through, don't know how long he can keep it up for though."

"Pyros, we need flamers" Owen yelled and one stepped forward to place his hand on Ianto's shoulder and this time the door visible disappeared long enough for some to run though.

"Wait" Jack said and Ianto turned to him, "Yan, if there are more here than there the shield won't hold, the last few will be … breathing apparatus, hurry! Next burst we throw it that side, GO!"

Micha tumbled through as the masks flew past and Ianto sobbed with relief, joined by three more Pyros who all stood with their hands on him pushing as he snarled showing his teeth, pushing once more and this time eight fell through with masks.

"That's it" Suzie spluttered as she got to her feet, "That's the last of us."

Ianto let his hands drop and the door sizzled, red hot.

"So. Jack?" Ianto turned to him with an eyebrow raised in question.

"This bit….yes. I'm trying to think love" Jack rubbed his face and then let the hand lower as he stared at him a smile forming.

"Paradox?"

"Yeah" Jack nodded, "already created I think, but I do remember it. The timeline is not changed the fixed points not moved so it's allowable, like…tweaking it. He said that was allowed."

"The Doctor" Ianto nodded.

"Yeah. Look, the outcome will be the same, we will win. Maybe, maybe this way the death toll can be lower, we can win…better. As long as we win then it's all OK" Jack smiled.

"And if not?" Owen asked.

"Then we're pretty fucked anyway, right?" Jack shrugged, "He can't kill me if you all die because I won't care anymore."

"Awww, he's so cute" Owen sighed, fluttering his eyelashes, "Saying such things."

"Shut up ya twat" Jack muttered, shoving him.

"So. The Dragon loses a child. That could mean I lost her for a moment, it could mean since I called us all Children of Time it was referring to the massacre?" Ianto asked and everyone nodded their agreement. "Those who flew out the hull breach before the shield was created?"

"Right, we call it that then" Ianto decided, "the next one?"

"Er…Battle of Dragon's Blood is followed by…um. Shit. The Dragons' Shadow" Jack frowned as he heard the old words echoing in his mind.

"Tell me" Ianto said calmly, "Tell me the tale and we will see if there are loopholes we can exploit. Come, where we cannot be heard, let's bend time."

"We win this one" Jack said happily as he followed Ianto to their quarters, "I remember that. This was one we celebrated."

"Good" Ianto said over his shoulder, "Because that is what I intend to do."

.

.

.

.

Oh yes he would stand and crow over the dead of his enemies," she nodded and smiled happily, "This be the time of the blood. The time of the anger and the snarling."

"This be the time of the Dragon." A wee girl snorted.

"He just woke up." Jaxton said with awe, "He breathed his first fire."

"Yes" she crooned, touching his face. "Remember little one, listen to the words long since written down."

"When the Man comes around!"


	24. Chapter 24

24

The UNIT meeting was underway in the underground facility, the angry thrumming as Her Majesty raged at them on the vid-screen.

"How dare you, our subjects deserve your support and security not…"

"Madam, it is in the name of security that we must stamp out these rats" the General stood with a easy fold of his arms showing he was not the least bit intimidated as the old woman steamed on the screen "These animals are not human they are rats and therefore not covered by…"

"Excuse me!"

The image that filled the screen was so sudden that several people sitting at the table jumped with shock, the huge dragon's head swinging to face them, it's mouth moving as if it was actually talking, "So sorry to interrupt Ma'am but you see, I so object to being called a rat. As you can clearly see, I am a dragon."

Everyone blinked.

"I would like to address the appalling attack on innocent souls. 21 of my children and 35 humans were killed when your officers opened fire on a peaceful protest" as he spoke the screen opened down one side with shots of the massacre, people trying to escape, protect, shelter, die. The image of a young mother trying to save her baby by lying across the pram as a soldier fired into her back was the one he chose to leave there as he spoke again.

"This is an act of war" he blinked and turned his head to look directly at the General, "You know, there is an old saying. Do not wake the dragon. Well, I am awake now and you have challenged me, I must reply."

"What are you going to do!" the General sneered, "Breathe fire and smite me?"

Some tittered nervously and the Dragon smiled, his teeth gleaming as he leaned forward and to the immense horror of all in the room his snout protruded out of the screen, entering the room to stop in front of the General, "I have already done it."

"Done what?" a woman squeaked with open fear.

"You took from me, I take from you" the Dragon hissed as the General swallowed, amazed that this trickery was so real that he could have sworn he smelt the brimstone.

"Do you smell something?" a soldier standing near the door was turning to look around the room as he spoke and the eyes on the dragon rolled in his direction, then back to the General.

"I have judged you" he growled, a low gravelly snarl, "I find you to be nothing more than a piece of shit. Clay. And to that ground you shall return. For today, I walk this earth and I have passed my judgement for your acts."

"What have you done" the General whimpered as he smelt whatever it was more strongly.

"I have smote you" the Dragon said with confusion, "Did we not both come to that conclusion? That I should do so?"

Silence as everyone sat staring at the he head as he blinked and pulled back into the screen, "For each of my children, I shall take more of yours. There are more of you than us after all, only fair right? With my children being more precious?"

The head canted and those maddening Welsh vowels seemed to taunt, "For now you have woken the Dragon, I intend to clean house. Whether or not there are humans still standing at the end of it is up to you right now. Well…not you, clearly you are dead."

The dragon rolled its eyes and snorted as if amused with himself, "I mean to say…those who review this as they zip up those black bags and lay each body out in neat little rows. I am strong, fearless and above all…I am Riftling. You seem to be the rat now."

"Gas" someone suddenly said with terror, "Oh god, is that gas"

The soldier grabbed his walkie from his belt and the General barked a warning but could only watch as the man clicked the talk button, creating a minute spark that ignited the gas.

How apt.

The entire facility taken down from the very room it was built to protect.

They say the sonic boom was so fierce that windows shattered as far as fifteen kilometres away.

It would take days for them to pick though the debris and stop the burning below, retrieve the bodies and confirm that loss of those responsible for the massacre.

All but one.

One who thought their identity safe, separate. Hadn't attended the meeting and had watched with the rest of the nation as the live feed was broadcast to all TVs.

Of course….

Ianto took a deep breath and rolled his neck as the vid-screen flared and died, those techies standing around him with their hands on him let their hands drop, some rubbing them together with soft giggles.

"Shit, that looked a bit more immense that I thought it would" Ianto said softly, "But they started it."

"Are you OK?" Jack asked, stepping into Ianto's personal space now to offer his own unique power, soothing and replenishing the strength Ianto had expended in order to create the illusion while the Ghost slipped in and out of the UNIT facility undetected, opening the gas lines with ease.

Their kiss was gentle and sweet as Jack's blood thrummed and his mind remembered the old words, there was one more.

 _One who got away to cause more havoc._

As Jack pulled back to stroke his beloved's face he whispered the name.

.

.

.

.

.

"It be the lady!" a child squealed, "The one who wanted Torchwood!"

"Yes" the old woman said with satisfaction as her little ones remembered and she glanced once more at the one hugging her skirt, his eyes narrowing as he looked out at the darkness and whispered the name with a mixture of fear and disgust.

"Gwen."


	25. Chapter 25

25

Jack didn't like the plan, neither did Ianto. In fact, it was pretty safe to say they were all uncomfortable with it but agreed it was the only way.

"We need to shut her down" Owen argued, "We all know this could turn the tide here."

"But this is so…extreme" Ianto frowned as he looked to Jack.

"Like smuggling a suicide bomber on board?" Jack asked him softly, reaching out to touch his stomach and Ianto sighed as he was forced to agree. The plan was sound, as much as they hated lowering themselves to her level, they had to get it done.

Jack was trying to be calm but he kept checking the file and going over the plan in case there was a loophole or landmine he had overlooked, the words had been spoken so long ago.

Ianto rose and looked around the table, alerting Jack to the speech starting, "We need to be strong. We need to endure and we need to find a place where we belong. I don't like this, none of us do but sometimes the most beautiful things are forged with fire."

Jack remembered the flames dancing and closed his eyes, remembering the old mother smiling down at him, his wild bad Rose.

"Operation Dragon's Breath is now enacted." He nodded to Walter and they watched the man look up at the screen, his eyes rolling back as the screen flickered to life and they found the screen filled with a cell, a table and two chairs either side with a young woman sitting there weeping softly.

Gwen entered on the screen and Jack asked if there was sound, Tosh leading forward to touch Walter's arm and speakers burst to life, "My name is Detective Gwen Cooper with the south Wales Heddlu. I am here to listen, to help."

The woman sniffled and wiped her tears away with the heels of her hands, looking like a small child with her panda eyes blinking at her, "It was horrible. Like, it was all a dream. Someone was…it was…god, I feel so awful."

"Just take your time and tell me what happened" Gwen reached out to pat her hand and Jack frowned, turning to Ianto.

"She's not doing it, why isn't she doing it?"

"I don't know Cariad" Ianto muttered, "Franny? You got anything?"

SORRY IANTO I DO NOT KNOW WHY SHE IS DEVIATING

"OK, so…she's deviating. Let's give her some room to manoeuvre, whatever she's doing I trust her" Ianto said with more confidence than he felt, glancing at Jack for support, then back to the screen.

"It was like he was controlling me, I couldn't speak, move let along fight him, he…he raped me" she sobbed, Gwen now moving around the table and engulfing the young woman in her arms and Ianto made a small noise as the young woman threw her arms around Gwen's neck, sobbing into her chest.

"Shit, she's quite the actress that one" Owen snorted.

"I knew she would fit us well" Ianto said softly, "I had no idea she was so inventive."

"I never dreamed she would get her neck" Tosh whispered with glee.

Gwen spent a long time comforting her and telling her that she would get the scum that did this, the rat would not get away and then the girl pulled back and smiled at her through her tears as she thanked her for her humanity.

"Fuck! She is SO good!" Owen laughed.

"Right, we have her invested now, let's move to phase two" Jack said and the fire alarm stared in the Heddlu Station. Gwen rose and told the girl to stay there, she would see what was happening and then she stormed out leaving the girl behind.

She waited for a minute or two, then rose and walked out of the room, the screen changing to see the door swinging shut on its own.

The Ghost moved calmly though the crowd as people panicked and ran about, Gwen retuning to the empty room and setting off the secondary alarms.

This was of no matter to Ghost who had already found the exit to the parking garage and she was able to roll under the chain link barriers as it came down, the only indictor she was even there a puddle splashing for no apparent reason.

"Tosh?" Ianto asked and she made a noise of annoyance, making Ianto smile at her affectionately.

"OK" she smiled, looking up, "It's up."

"Fran?"

The screen now showed a map of Cardiff, zooming into the Heddlu Station and a dot was blinking on the screen, moving along corridors.

"Tell Ghost when she gets back that she bought herself double bath rations" Ianto said as he rose to leave, "I'm going to lay down before I fall asleep here on the table, when I come back I want a report on where she goes, who she talks to, everything that Tracking Patch can tell us."

"On it" Tosh nodded without looking up, Walter reaching out to open another screen of steaming binary code, his eyes glowing green as he controlled something within the station.

Gwen went about her day, unaware of the small invisible patch on the back of her neck, lovingly placed by the young woman she allowed a hug from. On her hand it would have washed off within hours, on the back of her neck it would last for days. Depending on how often she washed her hair, maybe weeks.

Yes.

Ghost earned herself some perks from the big guy for that master stroke.

.

.

.

.

"She be the rat now!" a youngling laughed, "Her be the one shuffling in her wee maze on the screen."

"Yes, she be the rat" Old mother smiled, "and we know what happens to rats."

"They get trapped!" they all shout with glee.

"Yes" she nodded with satisfaction, "Exactly."


	26. Chapter 26

26

"You OK love?" Jack asked as he watched Ianto snuggle into his pillow.

"Tired" Ianto whispered softly, looking so young and vulnerable all of a sudden and Jack settled next to him pulling him into his arms as he rubbed his back and tried to encourage sleep.

"She makes me proud" Ianto slurred as he started to drift.

"She's a good girl" Jack agreed, "you chose well."

Ianto hummed softly, then started to breathe deeply as he gave in and slept. Jack listened to the soft pings of the bulkhead settling, the strange noise like a soft tone, a musical note that was the outside void pressing against the patch over the hull and he knew they had to gain repairs.

Sooner or later they had to come back to dry dock to get that patch replaced with fresh fuselage and Jack did not savour the idea of going back to Earth one little bit, but they also needed water. The Riftlings needed their powers for better things than providing basic needs that they really should have their own humidifiers for. The Botanists were excited about one of the storage bays, wanting a garden in there, and that required soil. Yeah, a trip back to terra firma was definitely in the future and he didn't like that idea one little bloody bit.

"Shhh, thinkin too 'ard" Ianto muttered as he snuggled closer and Jack smiled as he changed his thought to old memories of the fire, the flames dancing and twirling in the darkness. Ianto went limp again, soothed by this and Jack felt himself drift as well.

Ianto woke first, the sound of pinging and he sat up to pull the corers around Jack more, leaning in to kiss him and then he rose to follow the sound.

"Ghost" Ianto said softly, "What are you doing?"

She turned to face him and shrugged, "I brought back my dog but the bloody leash broke. He doesn't like all the metal floors so I was trying to keep him on the rug in my quarters."

"So the pinging noise was him dragging the broken leash" Ianto got it and canted his head.

"Slippers"

"What?" she blinked.

"You can get little booties , slippers for dogs" Ianto said as he pointed at the small dog watching him, "Then he won't feel the cold floor."

"Brilliant" she grinned, "I hadn't thought of that."

"Alice is making a list for the next shopping spree" Ianto smiled as he pointed in the direction of her room.

Then he was heading back to the room and finding Jack sitting on the edge of the bed yawning.

"Tosh got everything sorted for the…." Jack started to ask and his voice petered out as he watched his mate pale.

"Fran? Where's Tosh?" Ianto asked and the silence made Jack stand.

"Franny? What's happened?" he demanded as Ianto sat now, rubbing his hands on his legs as his eyes fluttered around the room with fear.

"She's gone, she's not on board, where is she?" Ianto said softly, "What's happening?"

TOSHIKO AND OWEN TOOK A BUBBLE TO COLLECT TEAM DELTA

"And?" Ianto promoted.

WE HAVE LOST CONTACT

"Fran? Show me the landing zone" Jack demanded and the wall became a screen showing bubble sitting on the grass.

"Can you zoom out a little?" Ianto asked, rising to stand next to Jack and he slipped his hand into Jack's as the satellite image zoomed out to show two bodies lying in a pool of blood. Ianto whimpered and stepped close enough for their bodies to touch as h sought reassurance from Jack.

"Wrong clothes" Jack said with little comfort, "Not them. Must be two of the team, Owen and Tosh were both in black. Not them."

"So they've been taken" Ianto snarled, "They have been attacked and taken, what if they're hurt?"

"Then we will retaliate" Jack soothed.

I HAVE FOUND THEM

"Good girl" Jack sighed as the screen changed to the Heddlu Station and Gwen's dot, the zoom was into a room where Tosh was slumped in a chair and Owen roared from a cell, reaching between the bars for her as Gwen stood impassively watching.

"If you want to help her I suggest you start cooperating" Gwen snarled, "This isn't helping anyone."

"I don't know!" Owen sobbed, "We are only told where to drop them off, I've never seen the bloody headquarters. You think someone like me would be good enough for them?"

Gwen snorted as she picked up a file and threw it at the cage, letting the papers inside it flutter about the room as she laughed, "Doctor Owen Harper, Torchwood!"

"Please, she's not well, please you're hurting her" Owen begged and Gwen sneered as she slapped at Tosh's head. Ianto grunted with something Jack thought was fear but when he turned his head he was anger.

Red hot, flaming anger.

Ianto was fisting his hands as he growled at the screen, his teeth showing as he watched Gwen harm Tosh and Jack felt the air warm.

Shit.

"Baby" he tried a soothing tone, "Let's go tell the others, let's go sort this out."

Ianto snorted as he threw his head back and looked at Jack with open fury, "Sort it? We have people dead, others injured and two important members hostage. Oh Jack, this will be sorted alright."

They looked back at the screen as Gwen took a handful of hair and raised Tosh's head, revealing a bloodied face on the unconscious woman.

"Fran, get Walter's team." Ianto demanded, then hesitated, "Actually…get me all the Techies we have, and Jumpers!"

Jack didn't like the sound of this.

.

.

.

.

.

"Don't wake the dragon" they chanted with glee.

"Yes, they took the Dragon's sister, they spilled blood" she nodded, "Gwen has called the Dragon's eye in her direction."

"Now comes the angers" a child called out, "Now comes the ire!"

"Yes" the Bad Wolf grinned, "Now they will learn what Riftlings can do when pissed!"


	27. Chapter 27

27

Tosh woke and raised her head to look around blearily, the sound of Owen screaming shaking her to full awake and she watched with horror as Gwen pulled back the needle, grinning down at the writhing man.

"Sorry, does that burn a wee bit?" she said with sarcastic sweetness as she stared at the blood in the vial like it was an elixir of life.

Tosh knew they were screwed and only hoped Ianto would forgive them for being foolish enough to get themselves caught. There were three strong raps in the door and Gwen huffed, swinging and motioning for someone to open it. A man entered and looked around with open distain, Gwen rushing to clear a seat for him, "Sir. So sorry, I didn't know you were in the area."

He sat and glared at her, folding his arms as he plucked at the knees of his impeccable three piee suit, then crossed his leg as well. He looked annoyed.

"Well, we have two rats that I believe can lead us to their secret base" she gushed as she tried to look calm, her heart fluttering as her superior continued to glare silently at her. He was supposed to still be in London and she couldn't help but feel that his appearance was a good omen. She laid out her plans and then looked over her research one more time to see if she had missed anything.

"Any questions?" she turned and watched as he slowly stood and opened his coat to remove a PDA, then place it on the table and step back.

The piece of tech seemed to crackle.

"What's that?" she asked with wonder.

"A portal" he replied and she stared, the deep Welsh vowels definitely not those of her superior.

"What….what are you!" she said with horror as he seemed to shimmer, then change into a young woman with purple hair.

"Sorry" she said in a soft Scottish lit, "His voice was the only male voice I could think of. I'm not so good at mimicking sound yet."

"A shifter" Gwen snarled, reacting for her gun only to remember she was in a secure area.

"Yeah" the woman smiled, "A shifter, with a portal. Oops?"

Crackling became small sparks and then blue flame seemed to shoot form the PDA, small lightning bolt that became Walter and two more men. Then came another, and another.

Gwen started to back away with open fear now as they grinned and advanced on her.

Up onboard the Excalibur Ianto was sweating as those around him kept contact, using him as a conduit, harnessing their powers and helping. Ianto was using the power of the jumpers to help the techies jump from the vessel to the PDA, their binary forms easy to flick through space as a sound byte.

"OK" the purple haired woman said to Gwen, "This is the deal. You sit there and be a good girl and maybe we don't kill you today."

"You won't get away with this" Gwen hissed.

"The real problem lady, is not us right now" Purple grinned happily as she kept to the script Ianto had carefully instilled in her, the words that must be spoken, "Your problem is working out how we knew where they were. You must have a mole, right?"

Gwen blinked as she stared at her, her mouth slowly dropping.

"Yeah! That's right" Purple grinned, "Someone told us, didn't they. Must have, right? I thought you could tell Riftlings from humans. So…a human sympathiser? Or is there a Riftling in the Hunters? We know every move you make lady!"

Gwen's face changed to one of anger and Purple decided to go one more by using her ability to see someone's past ten minutes on skin contact, "You drank a cup of tea earlier, a pink mug and then you a ginger nut biscuit. You complained that it was too hard."

Gwen took a sharp intake of breath, her nostrils flaring as she accepted the fact she had a fucking traitor on hr team and Jack sniggered as she watched the screen, the only truth being that they knew everything. They had her.

Thanks to that patch.

"She will twist in the wind looking for the leak" Jack laughed, "There isn't one but she will accuse and abuse everyone, making an enemy of those who might have assisted her."

"By the time we expose her as the leak she will have built her own gallows with that mouth" Ianto said, turning from the screen as the Techies reached for Tosh to bring her back first.

Owen was not a techie and the two men stared at each other silently as Jack chastised Ianto, then looked down in agreement as Ianto stepped back into the huddle of Riftlings and closed his eyes, drawing so much power that more than one waivered with fatigue then he….jumped.

Owen was still rubbing his wrists where the handcuffs had hurt when Ianto appeared before him, reaching out and seizing him to pull him back through the PDA.

Owen was screaming as he appeared on the other side and Ianto folded gracefully into Jack's arms as the healers rushed to replenish, only to watch Jack do the job himself, slamming his mouth over Ianto's and pushing his own uniqueness until Ianto responded.

"Don't do that again!" Jack demanded and Ianto nodded.

"Owen was worth it" Ianto rasped.

"Was not!" Owen roared before Jack could, "You are a hundred of me…more!"

"No Owen" Ianto rose to face him and he seemed taller, larger and more imposing than before as if the experience had made him …stronger, "I am you. You are me. We are one. We are Riftling."

"Yeah?" Owen grinned as he saw Tosh turning from the healers with no sign of damage, "How about, we are the fucking champions?"

Ianto laughed softly as their plans began to bear fruit.

Rescuing them had been like taking candy from a baby and although this had sped up the plans, they remained unchanged.

.

.

.

.

.

"The points remained fixed!" the Old Mother said to the crowd, "The story remained true, only some of the words changed and the songs to be sung were a little lighter than before."

"We be here, they strong" a girl said with glee, "There is magic in the words."

"Yes" she nodded, "And magic can win wars."


	28. Chapter 28

28

Gwen believed their claims, enough to start 'questioning' all those in her taskforce. Soon she was the most hated bitch to stalk the halls, some unable to stand up to her scrutiny and asking for transfers. Then came the first death, a heart giving out during interrogation and she realised a beat too late that she had overstepped her mark.

Now nobody wanted to be on her team.

She thought the one person who might show a little tenderness in the situation would be her husband, but his quiet sighing and shaking of his head when she moaned about it at the tea table was not helping at all.

"I thought you would have my back at least" she whined, her pout almost drawing a kiss, but then he seemed to waiver and he turned to pick up their plates.

"Have to soak the dishes, you know my lasagne sticks" Rhys muttered as he turned his back to her, scrubbing at the plate furiously.

"We almost have it you know" she said, hoping to gain his attention again but he continued to scrub.

"In two, three days at the most we will have a way to scan people to see if they are Riftlings in hiding" she preened, "To think I grew up with these….mutant freaks. Probably sat next to one at school, maybe even my first kiss was with one!"

She frowned as she tried to remember his name, maybe she should look him up, check him to be sure. Wouldn't want that on her record, not if she was going in the history books.

Rhys scrubbed.

"We had one today that we tested it on but it's not yet fully calibrated" she continued as she pulled out her laptop to do a bit of work, "The Seekers had gone mad over him, pointing him out in the crowd like good little dogs going after a rabbit."

She leaned back to bask for a moment in her lovely team, then frowned as she remembered that team was smaller than before. After a while she continued her story, "He was no more than fourteen if he was a day. Barely stubble, more like fluff on his face. Pubes so soft. He had screamed like a champion though."

Rhys paused his scrubbing.

"He didn't die well" she sighed, slamming the laptop closed as if upset, but then showed that she was merely annoyed with the lack of progress, "I could have used him for a few other things first, if I knew he was gong to bloody bleed and die like that. Even his eyes bled. Disgusting."

Rhys blinked as he stared at the wall in front of him.

"I need a bath" she said as she rose from the table, "Just the thought of all that disgusting tainted blood everywhere."

Rhys resumed scrubbing as she moved around and then headed to the other room.

.

.

.

.

.

"His name was Ethan" Ianto told those assembled, "You may have known him as Mouse. He was a small shifter with a kind heart. He was seeking his sister who was also one of us. She had been taken before him I'm afraid. At least they are together now, the void welcomes them."

"The Void welcomes them" they all intoned solemnly.

"Sources say she is close to perfecting her weapon. Within a day or so she will be able to scan a crowd and detect us amongst the humans. Our time walking the Earth will be over if this happens" Ianto sighed as he sat, the sudden movement startling them as Jack reached out to squeeze his hand, and he rose to continue as Ianto grieved for the young man he had reluctantly given shore leave to.

"This is something that cannot happen, must not happen" Jack said, hoping they understood as he leaned forward on the table, "If she gets this damned thing up and running she will not only destroy entire families, she will…well. She will see how many of us there are. How many are still there beside her in the real world. It will be too much."

"Mainframe?" Jack called out as he straightened up, "You had something you wanted to ad?"

The screen flickered and they were shown Gwen standing before a bank of monitors, looking at them with disgust.

"What is she looking at?" Walter asked, leaning forward.

CELL SURVEILANCE

"Can you patch in?"

STILL THERE FROM BEFORE

"Show us what she sees" Ianto demanded, looking up and crying out with horror as screen after screen of children filled the vid-screen. Children crying, alone lost and afraid. Some wounded and one or two dead or dying for the horrific injuries they could see.

"Ahhhhh fuck" Owen sighed.

RIFTLING OFFSPRING. MOTHER AND FATHER REVEALLED AS RIFTING SO CHIDREN WILL BE RIFTLING TOO

"She doesn't have to wait for puberty to see if they are Riftling" Owen felt sick, "She had realised that two Riftling will automatically create one"

"Oh my gods, they are just babies" Ianto sighed, rubbing at his face, "She has gone too far now."

.

.

.

.

.

"The babies don't need the adulting to turn" she explained to her children, "Much like you, they had powers from the beginning. These were the first of us, the first of the new race of man and she was scared."

"But not the Dragon" someone shouted, "He wasn't scared!"

"No" she agreed, "The Dragon was enraged."


	29. Chapter 29

29

Andy stood with open confusion as Gwen pointed to the chair again, "I said get in."

"Gwen, are you serious?" Andy asked with sorrow, "We went through the academy together, grew up on the same fucking estate, you gonna do this to me?"

"I have to be sure" she said grandly, "I need to clear all of you."

"And you?" Andy challenged, "Have you had your turn yet?"

Several of those in the room turned to stare at him, then her as they agreed, stepping forward to surround her, "Come on Gwen. If this is a foolproof device that picks up rats, it will clear you and then I will feel safe knowing I will be cleared too!"

"I don't need to, I know I am not one!" she said grandly and Andy folded his arms.

"Same"

"Andy, this is not a fucking democracy here!" she spluttered, "I am giving you an order!"

"And I am taking it higher up!" he said, slipping out the door he had been edging towards and as he stormed down the corridor he fumbled with his phone, the text already saved in case of emergency and the reply was one word.

RUN

Andy ran, heading for the roof as agreed and his heart was pounding as he tried not to show any fear even stopping to point back and complain about Gwen, gaining support and reassurance that he was right, she should have been the first one in the chair.

Andy slammed out onto the roof and stopped, panting with relief as he felt the cool air.

"Andy"

Andy swing to find Owen standing there, smiling softly was a hand reaching out, he took it with relief and let his brother hold him. One of the nicest things about all this mess was reconnecting with him. Their lives had been a mess, fostered out to different families and then Owen was kept and he was not, going through the fostering system for most of his childhood before finding the only thing that resembled family. Heddlu.

Now Owen was there, he had recognised him at the first rally he had attended and their grief at the loss of one another had faded the moment they touched, recognised and rejoiced.

Andy as also relieved that his time spent with that bitch was over, wanting the longed hottest shower imaginable and sleep.

The bubble lifted off as the two men continued to hug, their joy evident as they talked and Owen reassured him that he had been right to run, he had done his duty for the cause, the service he had provided had been invaluable.

Within an hour Mainframe started her whispering campaign through the station. Ghost helping with open glee, tripping around people like some weird interpretative dance as she whispered as well. Memos from unknown sources, post-it notes with strange two word messages on desks. Ghost's writing a wee bit messy but they got the idea, right?

WHERES ANDY

Within two hours Gwen was being asked to produce him, to show he was still OK as his complaints to others had floated up and they wanted reassurance that she hadn't done anything to him. Not a good officer like him.

Within three hours Gwen was frantically tearing the place apart, Andy nowhere to be found and those watching were all forming the same opinion as those whispers became more damning.

Gwen had 'disappeared' Andy Davidson.

Onboard the vessel they watched as Gwen tried desperately to make a case of kidnap, espionage and then she openly said he must be a rat that abandoned ship.

Andy snorted with mirth in stereo to his brother as Owen clapped him on the shoulder and reassured him again that he was done with that bullshit.

Ianto swung on his chair as Tosh stood ordering mainframe to release a text message showing a body that resembled Andy in a woodland area, some leaves peppered over it. That had been a fun day, the picnic had been a few months back and Andy had enjoyed that day of photos, now knowing why he had been asked to pretend to be a sleep for that one and he turned to chastise his little brother but found he couldn't as he looked at Owen and felt only affection for his imp of a fool.

Hugging Owen to him Andy sighed and let go of the last few years, the undercover work he had done in the name of the Riftlings had borne fruit and although his staying longer could have helped more he knew Ianto had another job for him now as he glanced at the screens of children.

The crèche was almost complete, as was the snatch and grab mission plans on the wall beside the bank of screens and Andy revelled in the offer Ianto had presented for him to help raise the next generation of Riftlings. Knowing he would be doing so beside his brother was the finest gift he might have been offered and Andy was ready to fight for them once more.

Ianto's gentle hand on his arm as he thanked him for his service had filled him with such peace, the ache of Gwen bloody Cooper removed from his heart as if someone had set fire to it and blown the ash away into the night.

That Suzie was a fine mare too, helping him with clothing and a place to rest, he had noted her height and found her hair really sexy. Her look of surprise and shy pleasure when he had asked if she had a mate had been quite uplifting too.

The best part?

The ruling from the authority that Gwen must be the next to undergo the chair.

"Gotta have popcorn for that!" Owen and Andy had said at the same time, then turning to each other and yelling 'Jinx' as they roared with laughter.

Gods, they were so much alike.

How could Ianto not love Andy as well?

.

.

.

.

.

"She run her own gauntlet now!" The mother told them as the flames suddenly died away and there was darkness all around them, "She must feel the cold, the darkness in the heart that comes from her machine, she must scream to the heavens for help."

"Mama?"

The flames flared again, bright and cheerful as the child clutching her ankle relented and looked up his huge eyes still showing fear, "But she not us."

"No darling" she leaned over and smiled down, "But when had that ever stopped us from a good trick, eh?"

The Grups laughed in the shadows, not only knowing this part of the story but holding it up as one of the best bits.

The fall of Gwen Bloody Cooper into her own flames.


	30. Chapter 30

30

Rhys had been waiting at home, the roast already caved and the plates on the warmer.

She had sat and eaten with gusto, feeling renewed as he had told her that he had thought of her all day, knew the terrible sacrifices she was making for the betterment of their people and how proud he was of her.

His hand on her knee, sliding to her lap as he whispered how sexy he found it, having such a femme fatale for a woman and that on the day they exchanged rings he would take her name to show his loyalty was almost too much.

It had been such a horrible day. She had expected his usual indifference he had been showing as of late but him explaining that he had been afraid for her, loved her so much that he feared her not coming home had made her heart twist a little. Poor man, poor silly man to push her away in an attempt to lessen his own heartache.

Well, she put him right.

His face so soft in the candlelight, his smile so gentle as he had whispered that there were fresh linens on the bed and he had taken the next day off so the alarm would not go on his side of the bed. He always seemed to know what she needed, be it silence or words. He always listened to her day with such interest, sometimes not looking at her so she could find strength to say things she might not be able to say directly to him otherwise.

They had tumbled into the bedding and she had soon been screaming as he took her roughly, his teeth biting and his snarls quite animalistic. If not for the fact she knew how much he loved her she might have thought he was punishing her somehow, the bruises would be worn with honour and the next morning in the shower she had looked at them with open joy.

His taking her again when she had stepped into the bedroom again had been unexpected and a little startling, his strength even more demanding as he had bent her over the end of the bed and not even prepared her, his snarling and harsh words as he called her a whore, slut an fucking bitch had turned her on so much she had cum several times before he did, then changing holes to do something he had never done before.

She had screamed with pain as he forced his way in and soon the bed was thumping the wall as he filled her arse as well, flailing into her panting as he bemoaned the fact she had to go to work and leave him or he would fuck her all day.

Her hands had shook as she fumbled with her blouse and he had done it up for her, whispering those sweet nothings as he did each button, a kiss provided as punctuation and then as she sat smiling he had grabbed her hair and forced her head down his engorged member waving in front of her to show much he wanted her to stay and how sad he was going to be all day.

Her lips had greedily taken him in as she revelled in her ability to turn him to mush, the hair pulled from her scalp as he had held her while she gulped not even felt.

She had swallowed dutifully, leaving him on the bed naked and debouched, groaning her name as she smoothed her clothing and redid her hair, watching in the mirror as he continued to pant with blessed out pleasure.

Yep, that's how she had her men.

Taken, abused and fulfilled.

Her walk was jaunty and she was grinning from ear to ear as she left the apartment and she was almost to the elevator when she realised she didn't have earrings in.

Fuck.

She turned and re-entered to find the bed now empty and Rhys in the shower. She called out and left again, pleased that he had obviously been pleasuring himself thinking about her as his moans had filtered thought the door. 'Gods Gwen' he had been almost sobbing.

She entered her 'lair' as the whispers had named it and walked to the chair, flinging herself in it and looking at her tech, "well? Let's do it, my fiancé is feeling unwell and I need to get back home to him!"

As they strapped her down she smiled and felt that light puckering in her nether regions, his cum still tricking out and found the idea of herself filled with his punk to be …exciting. Maybe it was time to start talking about the wedding. A baby even.

She imagined herself pregnant and standing in front of a hole full of Rifling bodies, declaring it a day to rejoice in the cleansing of this world. For her child, for all their children. She would cup the belly and look triumphant in all the magazines and papers, they would call her the Mother of Wales or some shit. Yeah.

She was still in her own little world when the machine started to hum and she closed her eyes as she heard Rhys' cries though the door once more.

"Gwen, fucking hell, gods"

Gods?

She opened her eyes as she wondered why he had said 'Gods' not 'God' and the first wave of pain hit, making her throw her head back and howl.

"Shit, turn it off, there's a fault oh god, it burns" she wailed.

"It's supposed to" the technician said with confusion, "That's the tell, remember?"

She screamed as he clicked it up, not down and now she felt her stomach start to churn as something terrible, dreadfully wrong was happening.

.

.

.

.

.

"His seed!" a child suddenly said, an older one who knew about the wrestling of the grups, "He be one of us! He filled her with his seed so…it be him the machine finds!"

"Yes" she smiled, pleased as this one had not heard the story but had been quick to see the plan, "Yes. Rhys had made sure that the shower didn't wash away his own self. He filled her from every which way so she was overflowing with him."

"She be full of Riftling spunk!" another explained to a smaller one, "The man juice to make a baban, He juiced her up all the way."

"And the machine sees it!" the child gaped with horror, "The machine sees the Riftling juice and can't see it is not blood, the machine sees only Riftling in her now."

"Yes" the mother finally re-entered the conversation, so proud of her cleverlings, "the machine was never made to tell the difference between body juices. It sees Rifting in her stomach from the swallows and in her bum bits from the wrestling. He filled her up every which way."

"She be proper stuffed now" an older one said with open glee, "Done like a dogs dinner!"

"Yes" the mother agreed, "Rhys was the undercover agent all along. Ianto's oldest living friend and cousin. A feeler who was always able to handle her, despite how much he hated to. Yes. Rhys was our champion."

Gwen Cooper was no longer a threat.


	31. Chapter 31

31

"So" the elite Purity Cleansing Council were sitting around a table looking at the screen and the one speaking wore a chain of medals around his neck showing he was the commander, "the blood screens came back and Ms Cooper is definitely human."

"I don't know what is more upsetting" a plump woman said as she pushed away her folder of papers, "The fact we gave her so much power when she was clearly flubbing the stats or the fact there must have been human people…children suffering at her hands with our full approval."

"Yes" another nodded, "We trusted her and all indications were that this machine was working."

"If I may interject for a moment, my esteemed colleagues" the voice was smooth and calming, "I worry about those children she claimed were all Riftling. Not a single one had shown any sign of being such and I now wonder what ethos she used to decide their title? Perhaps some are but those who are not? We are here to protect those innocents and we place them in a room with….spawn?"

The table erupted as the images of babies crying in bed after little bed filled the screen, the sixtyish woman leaned back in her chair with her immaculately coiffed hair more silver than grey in the lighting of the room and her soft linen suit was a soft lilac with a pretty purple thread through it, she looked like a cross between Helen Merin and Goldie Hawn. She spoke again "The public can never know of this. What should have been a wondrous revelation would bury us all. I…well. I know none of us wants to associate ourselves with this fiasco one moment more so I would like to suggest I take over this …cleansing. Gerry, you are doing so well with the press and the smoothing of lines there, I suggest we put our efforts into assisting Gerry here. A fine man stepping up when… we need a voice of calm. I will do my part and…remove this part of her stupidity from existence."

They all agreed and their colleague stood to leave, some thanking her again as she waved a hand, "Come now. I've sat here with you for almost three years, can you believe it? Three years and I have never known of a more precarious time. If we cannot trust each other in this room right now, the Cleansing will fail."

They all agreed and she swept out of the room and down the stairwell, preferring not to use the elevator…not with the surveillance onboard. Her cream high heels beat a tattoo of unusual speed as she tripped down the stairs double time.

"She is a formidable lady" one said softly as the door closed behind her, "Puts on such an act of a dotty old lady to the outside world, if I had not met her in this room I would never have believed her so spry and switched on."

"That's her great trick" the other agreed, "I saw her at the Opera the other night and she acted genuinely confused and unable to place me. Was quite sweet. I hope when I am that old I can be as fucking cut throat."

The stairwell door swung open and she strode to the car then slid in, signalling the driver to make haste and she touched the coms in her ear, "Did you get that sir?"

"Yes we did love"

Ianto relaxed and released the form of the older woman he kept for these meetings. It had been a long, precarious journey to get into that room, onto that board and for the last three years he had been careful not to speak out of turn or make them notice him any more than necessary. The woman he coped so old and demented that she often forgot appointments and meetings, telling others she had never attended places they swore they saw her at and she was so loved and admired for her early years as a councillor that it never occurred to anyone that there might be two of her or that she genuinely didn't appear at some tables or in photo ops.

Gods, he hated the old woman suits though.

"All good?" Owen's voice was tense and Ianto knew why, humming softly as he let a hand smooth the silk blouse over his little bump.

"All good Owen" he answered softly, "But these heels are killing me and me hose is riding up the crack of me arse again!"

As hoped, the laughter down the coms eased the tension and Ianto smiled as he let his eyes close and relax into the seat.

Suzie turned in the driver's seat and looked through the partition, "You really OK?"

"Yeah Suze" Ianto said without opening his eyes and she smiled, turning back to pull onto the highway and head for the parkland where the bubble was parked, waiting to take them home.

Gods, she loved this job.

.

.

.

.

.

"But what about Rhys?" a little voice asked, "He be left?"

"No" she smiled, "They never leave a man behind"

"Rhys. He be the Williams you be named after Willy ya dick!" someone called out, "He be a warrior, remember? He had to get back!"

"He was waiting at the bubble to go with them, he found Ianto both amusing in his lady clothes and comforting as he got a hug from his blood kin" she sighed as she saw them all starting to jiggle, "Go release ya waters before we have a flood over here that puts the fire out!"

They all giggled as they went to pee in the dark places and some of the elders moved forward with one reaching out to touch her skirts reverently, "Thank you old mother, for the beginning words. We have not seen you for many harvests."

"It was time" she said with a nod of her head, her pretty face losing its age for a moment and she was young again, pretty and wild before them, "this is the beginning words at the end."


	32. Chapter 32

The Riftlings - The Middle Bits is now up and running...

..

.

.

.

It happened with more of a roar than a whimper, Ianto's rage indescribable, as was his wrath.

"I thought we agreed you were going to stay behind the scenes" Jack scolded as he stormed over to argue about the danger Ianto had or hadn't been in.

.

.

.

.

"I think she's dying and I can't hold her" Ianto said shakily."Her pain is crippling."

.

.

.

.

.

.

two small boys watching him silently, their hands clasping each other's as matching eyes blinked. Twins. Identical and Ianto could see they were powerful and dangerous.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"You know names like an idiot savant" Ianto said softly, "Thank you for creating a job for them."

"Did you just all me an idiot?" Jack asked with confusion.

"Twypsn" Ianto snorted.

"Did you hear that?" Jack said to the kids surrounding them, "He's picking on me."

.

.

.

The future stated here.

.

.

.

.

.

"The beginning!" they crowed as she laughed, her head thrown back as she agreed.

"Yes, why I speak the words" she nodded. "The beginning of the middle bits."


End file.
